De Lima seeks Senate probe on killings of suspected drug offenders

Senator Leila de Lima (Photo: Chari Villegas / Senate Pool)

MANILA, Philippines—Sen. Leila de Lima on Sunday said that she would file a resolution to probe the killings of suspected drug offenders following President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown on illegal drugs.

The senate inquiry intends to establish operational guidelines for law enforcers and impose harsher punishment for anomalous police officers, De Lima, who will head the Senate committee on justice and human rights, said in a radio interview on Sunday.

Amidst the rising toll of suspected drug offenders who were shot dead by police officers for allegedly ‘snatching a cop’s gun’ or ‘resisting arrest’, De Lima reminded Duterte and the police force to follow the letter of the law.

“We have to balance everything. It cannot be that you enforce the law but you engage in summary executions or extrajudicial killings. You are breaking the law,” De Lima was quoted as saying in an Inquirer.net report.

De Lima insisted that killing a suspect should only be a last resort.

The senator added that the daily killings of suspected drug offenders were worse than the deaths of Philando Castile of Minnesota and Alton Sterling of Louisiana, two African-American men who were victims of police brutality in the United States of America.

CHR probe

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has earlier launched an investigation on the deaths of alleged drug dealer Jaybee Bertes, 28, and his father, Renato Bertes, who were shot dead by Pasay police officers in their detention cells for allegedly ‘snatching’ the gun of their police escort.

“It goes beyond reason. If you will snatch a gun, why do it inside the police station?  Second, as the police, if they tried to grab the gun, why kill them?” CHR National Capital Region director Gilbert Boiser was quoted as saying in an Inquirer.net report.

The young Bertes was allegedly on the police’s list of drug traffickers and was arrested on his home at 11 p.m. on Wednesday without having presented a warrant of arrest. Bertes was brought to the police station with his father who insisted to accompany him in fear of his son’s safety.

According to the testimonies of PO2 Alipio Balo and PO1 Michael Tomas, Bertes’ arresting officers, the Berteses were put through usual police procedures and were returned to their cells at 2 a.m. on Thursday.

While Balo was unlocking Jaybee’s handcuff, Renato reached to Balo in an attempt to snatch his gun. The two grappled but Balo was able to regain hold of the weapon. Balo then fired multiple shots at Renato, while Tomas fired at Jaybee.

Jaybee’s wife, Harra Kazuo, refused to believe the arresting officers’ accounts.

“My husband would never do that. He is a kindhearted man. He never hurt me or his child. And if he would try to grab a gun, he would first think that they might be killed,” she was quoted as saying in an Inquirer.net report.

The incident involving the Berteses was one of the cases that sparked calls for a Senate hearing on the killings of alleged drug offenders.

The CHR is readying subpoenas for the implicated police officers.

No congressional probe

Ifugao Representative Teddy “Brawner” Baguilat on Thursday filed House Resolution No. 61, “calling for an investigation in aid of legislation into the spate of extrajudicial killings and or summary executions of suspected violators of laws on illegal drugs and other suspected criminals.”

“The seemingly unchecked outbreak of extrajudicial killings executed by civil servants trusted by the people to enforce the law indicates a violation of the Constitution and represents a deterioration of the rule of law which, if left unrestrained, can lead to people taking the law into their own hands and direct the country towards lawlessness and anarchy,” the resolution read.

Despite various calls for a probe, incoming Lower House Speaker and Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez vetoed on Sunday the proposed congressional inquiry on the rising toll of extra-judicial killings.

Alvarez wanted the representatives to focus instead on bills that are beneficial to the country.

Senator Juan Miguel “Mig” Zubiri also disproved a congressional inquiry on the deaths involving suspected drug offenders.

“Pagbigyan natin ang Duterte administration sa pagsugpo ng krimen at droga (Let’s give the Duterte administration a chance in seizing crimes and illegal drugs),” Zubiri said in a radio interview.

“I truly believe that what President Digong is doing is right. They should be afraid and violators should be punished,” he was quoted as saying in a Manila Bulletin report.

Meanwhile, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who is eyed to head the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said that he has to be presented evidence supporting the allegations of summary executions before he could hold an investigation.

“I won’t call for any investigation unless somebody will come out and present, even a probability, that there was summary execution. If that’s the case, I will. But in the absence of evidence, if it’s just based on hearsay or only one or two people said it, then why investigate it on the basis of speculation?” Lacson was quoted as saying in a Manila Bulletin report.