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PNP opens records of drug deaths to DOJ scrutiny
The new chief of the Philippine National Police has allowed the Department of Justice ( DOJ ) to check the records of at least 61 police operations that resulted in the deaths of drug suspects , Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said last May 2
Police Gen . Guillermo Eleazar ’ s move ended his predecessors ’ policy that , Guevarra said , made it “ rather difficult ” for a DOJ-led review panel to carry out President Duterte ’ s order to look into the government ’ s bloody drug war , Guevarra said .
Eleazar took the helm of the 220,000-strong PNP on May 7 , replacing Police Gen . Debold Sinas who retired .
Human rights groups have condemned the killing of hundreds of people in the drug war . The United Nations Human Rights Council ( UNHRC ) has described the Philippines ’ human rights situation as near impunity as the antidrug operations supposedly targeted innocent individuals .
“ The decision of the new PNP chief … is a very significant milestone in the government ’ s efforts to exact accountability ,” Guevarra told the Inquirer . “ While eradication of the illegal drug scourge remains a top priority of the present administration , it is also its major concern to conduct this campaign in the proper way and preserve its legitimate character ,” he said .
Guevarra said at least 61 cases were already investigated by the Internal Affairs Service of the PNP , the primary law enforcement agency that implemented Mr . Duterte ’ s brutal crackdown on the illegal drug trade . 5,655 police operations On June 30 last year , the justice chief announced in a video speech to the 44th UNHRC meeting that the DOJ-led interagency panel was created to evaluate 5,655 police anti-drug operations that resulted in deaths .
The panel is also made up of the PNP , Presidential Communications Operations Office , Department of the Interior and Local Government , Department of Foreign Affairs , Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat , Presidential Management Staff , Dangerous Drugs Board , Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency ( PDEA ), and the National Bureau of Investigation .
The Commission on Human Rights ( CHR ) was to be involved as an independent monitoring body . But in January , the CHR called out the government for its exclusion from the review .
Guevarra had told the UNHRC that the families of drug war victims would be provided legal assistance in prosecuting law enforcers “ who have overstepped legal bounds in their operations .” He said the new mechanism would “ tighten the web on existing mechanisms to prevent cases of impunity .”
Human rights groups have criticized the review panel as “ deeply flawed ” and a “ ruse to shield the country from international scrutiny ” because the police and the PDEA are among its members .
In February , Guevarra reported to the UNHRC that half of the police operations covered by the review “ failed to follow standard protocols pertaining to coordination with other agencies and the processing of the crime scene .”
But he cited claims by the PNP that many drug suspects were killed because they “ resisted arrest or attempted to draw a weapon and fight back .” The CHR came out with its own report in March , saying the PNP used “ excess , unreasonable ” force and had the “ intent to kill ” suspects during
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drug-related operations in the past four years . DOJ-PNP agreement
Guevarra said he met with Eleazar to talk about closer coordination between the DOJ and the PNP in the investigation of supposed extrajudicial killings of drug suspects . The agencies will sign a memorandum of agreement soon , he said , reiterating his department ’ s support for the PNP ’ s efforts to cleanse its ranks of scalawags .
“ Eleazar expressed his sincere intention to cooperate with the DOJ in order to remove or discipline wrongdoers among the ranks of the police and thereby uplift the image of the PNP as protectors of the people ,” Guevarra told reporters in a Viber message . “ What is significant right now is that the DOJ has been given free access , something that did not happen in previous years , thereby making our review rather difficult ,” Guevarra said .
Asked why it took several years before the PNP let the DOJ access its records , the justice secretary replied : “ It all boils down to a question of political will — the will to do what is right .”
Guevarra admitted that convincing witnesses to testify against erring policemen behind the killings of drug suspects would be an obstacle for state prosecutors .
“ Save in a few sensational cases , the biggest challenge to the criminal investigation [ and ] prosecution process is , and has always been , the willingness of witnesses to appear and testify ,” he said . ( By : Marlon Ramos - Philippine Daily Inquirer — WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RE- SEARCH )
Trillanes presidential bid a ‘ surprise ’ — Robredo spokesman
THE decision of former Senator Antonio “ Sonny ” Trillanes 3rd to seek the presidency in 2022 if Vice President Maria Leonor “ Leni ” Robredo doesn ’ t run for the position came as a “ surprise ,” her spokesman said . “ He knows that the Vice President is still very much open to running for president , so it was a bit of a surprise to see him come out to say that [ she ] was already preparing to run for governor of Camarines Sur ,” said lawyer Barry Gutierrez in an interview recently .
Gutierrez said it gave the public the “ unfortunate impression ” that
Robredo has already “ abandoned any intentions ” to run for presidency , which he reiterated was “ far from the truth .”
But Gutierrez added that the Vice President understands where Trillanes was coming from , saying the former senator only wants to be sure that “ come 2022 , there will be a single candidate that the opposition can rally around .” “ And if you look at the rest of his statement , it ’ s pretty clear that what he ’ s saying is ‘ in the event that the Vice President ultimately decides that she will not run for president , then , you know , I am willing to step up .’ And he has been fairly consistent on that ,” Gutierrez said . He also belied reports that Robredo has transferred her voter registration out of Naga City in Camarines Sur . stating “ Robredo is still ‘ going through the process ’ Asked when the Vice President would most likely convey her decision , Gutierrez said Robredo was still “ going through the process ,” and that it was something she is taking “ very seriously .”
“ In previous interviews , she has said that maybe August , maybe September . Frankly , I don ’ t even think that , you know , if you ask her directly , she can tell you ,” he said . “ She will , at one point , give a very , very clear , unequivocal declaration as to what her intentions are ; and when she does that , you can be assured that before she did so , she weighed all these in her mind , and that she will make the best possible decision she thinks should be made under the circumstances .”
Among the factors that Robredo is still considering was her family , which Gutierrez pointed out was also one of the reasons she took long before she declared her intention to run for vice president in 2016 .
“ Another thing is the consideration of whether or not she will really be the most unifying and winnable candidate for the opposition . You know , it ’ s clear that she — from my perspective , at least , and for the per- spective of many others — is that person ,” the spokesman said . “ The 2022 elections is something she views as very important for our country , and she wants the best person — the person with the biggest chance to actually unify the broadest base of people to ensure our success in 2022 . And that ’ s something she ’ s still reflecting on ,” he added . VP not playing coy
In the same interview ,
Gutierrez debunked claims that the Vice President was only “ playing coy .”
“ She ’ s a straight shooter , and she will never play coy . My honest understanding here is that this is really a weighty decision , and she is really trying to navigate it as best as she can ,” he said .
Gutierrez noted that the Vice President has proved that she can take on any challenge , citing as an example the President ’ s anti-drug campaign which she willingly led in 2019 .
“ It ’ s clear : if and when the time comes , she will make the decision , and she will step up to the plate . But we have to give her the opportunity and the time to go through her own process ,” he said . “ She is obviously the person who embodies most [ of ] what we feel should be embodied by the person who will be [ the ] president of this country . She has demonstrated her ability to be an executive during the course of this pandemic , and we think she will be a great president . So that ’ s still very much the default position that we are pursuing at this stage ,” Gutierrez noted . ( By Currie Cator , The Manila Times )
Duterte says he won ’ t waste ‘ best relations ’ of PH with China
Rodrigo Duterte has again voiced out his reluctance to upset China amid the continuing discussions over the latter ’ s incursions into the West Philippine Sea . “ We have the best of relations now . We will not waste that ,” Duterte said in a taped speech that aired May 17 .
This was his reaction to the remark of former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile that the Philippines should “ avoid irritating China .” “ We must never give China a reason to attack our territory , that is the bottom line ,” Enrile , who was present at the briefing with the President , said .
Enrile , who was also a former defense secretary , urged Duterte to keep a “ friendly ” approach in resolving issues over the maritime dispute .
“ We need a friendly approach there — not a hard , assertive , and aggressive approach ,” Enrile said , speaking partly in Filipino .
“ If we can ’ t reach an understanding with China , the interests of our countrymen , our economy , and even our security will be dragged into this issue ,” he went on . Duterte , who has been criticized for his warm stance with China , has repeatedly asserted that the Philippines would not go to war with China over the maritime dispute . But recently , the President said the Philippines would not withdraw its assets from the West Philippine Sea while still insisting he had no intention of quarreling with China because the Philippines owes it a “ debt of gratitude .” ( By : Krissy Aguilar , Philippine INquirerr )
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