De Lima to present 12 witnesses to killings of drug suspects

Senator Leila de Lima said 12 witnesses will be presented during the first day of the Senate's hearings on alleged extrajudicial killings of drug suspects.

“Mayroon po tayong 12 saksi sa walong kaso ng pagpatay na may 11 biktima. Malinaw po na ang mga kasong ito ay maliit na bahagi lamang ng mahigit isang libong insidente ng pagpatay sa operasyon ng mga pulis o ng mga hindi kilalang salarin,” De Lima, chairman of the committee on justice and human rights, said in her opening speech at the start of the hearing on Monday morning.

“Sa pamamagitan nila, nais natin na malaman ang kuwento sa likod ng mga insidente ng pagpatay. Hindi po natin layunin na imbestigahan ang lahat ng kaso ng pagpatay kundi bigyang linaw lamang ang mga tanong na bumabalot sa ating isipan tungkol sa mga pangyayaring ito,” she added.

She said it was hard to get witnesses who will voluntarily testify in public.

She said that the many of the witnesses have earlier sought the help of the Commission on Human Rights regarding the deaths of their loved ones.

“We have invited witnesses, families, and relatives of the victims who will be allowed to share under oath their stories and accounts of the alleged killings. Their corresponding testimonies are supported by their respective affidavits which will be forwarded to the proper agencies for investigation and prosecution,” she said.

The first witness presented by De Lima during the hearing was Harra Kazuo, widow of suspected drug pusher Jaypee Bertes killed along with his father, Renato, inside the Pasay Police Station early July.

She admitted that her husband had been arrested on drug charges even before President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office.

The witness narrated how her husband and father-in-law were arrested from their home.

De Lima reiterated that her concern does not revolve around the growing tally of killings reported by the Philippine National Police.

“What is particularly worrisome is that the campaign against drugs seems to be an excuse for some law enforcers and other elements like vigilantes to commit murder with impunity,” she said.

She said she is disturbed by the questions such as who are those killed, who are the killers, and whether investigations have been conducted or cases have been filed, and where the campaign against illegal drugs would end.

“There is no indication that these statistics on killings of alleged drug suspects will go down anytime soon. How many people need to die before we act to correct this alarming situation?” she said.

She said the statement of PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa that there were 899 drug-related deaths committed by unknown killers was disturbing.

“Grabe ito! Katumbas po yun ng 35 tao na patay kada araw,” she said.

De Lima said that through the hearing, she wanted to know if existing laws are sufficient to address the problems or the current set of laws are being implemented properly to deal with such "phenomenon."

She said she does not intend to weaken the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs but to strengthen and ensure that no right is being trampled upon.

“Gusto nating pagtibayin pa ang kakayahan ng ating kapulisan sa paglaban sa droga, sa pamamagitan ng mga panukalang batas upang gabayan sila sa tamang pagtupad ng tungkulin,” she added.

In his statement at the start of the hearing, Dela Rosa assured senators that the PNP does not and will not condone extrajudicial killings.

De Lima, meanwhile, clarified that hearing aims to enhance existing laws and not to prosecute the perpetrators of the alleged extrajudicial killings.

“Let this be clear: The Senate is not a court of law, or a quasi-judicial body. This Senate investigation is in aid of legislation, where the technical rules of evidence are not strictly applied. Our focus here is on the criminal acts to be addressed, not on the prosecution of the alleged perpetrators,” she said.

She said the objectives of the hearing are to determine or check on the abuses committed by law enforcers conducting operations in pursuit of those who are allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade; to reinforce our legal regime to address the phenomenon of vigilantism and summary killings; enhance legal mechanisms of accountability of state and non-state actors.

She also wanted to strengthen the roles and responsibilities of relevant government agencies that are mandated to investigate cases of extrajudicial killings and institute legislative measures to ensure that fundamental rights, especially the right to life, are respected by authorities.

De Lima, in response to the opening statement of Senator Panfilo Lacson, assured her colleagues and the public that “this proceedings will be conducted in the most professional manner and we order respect and courtesy as provided in our rules.” —ALG, GMA News