Pubdate: Wed, 27 Jul 2016
Source: Cebu Daily News  (Philippines)
Copyright: 2016sCebu Daily News
Contact:  http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1723
Author: Ador Vincent S. Mayol

CHR PROBES DRUG KILLS

At least eight cases that bore the marks of extrajudicial killings of 
drug suspects are now being investigated by the Commission on Human 
Rights in Central Visayas (CHR-7).

The probe came barely 24 hours after President Rodrigo Duterte's 
tirade against human rights advocates questioning his tough 
anti-crime policies, particularly on the slaying of suspected drug peddlers.

Leo Villarino, CHR-7 chief investigator, said they received a 
directive from lawyer Diana De Leon of CHR's Human Rights Protection 
Office in Manila last July 15, mandating the regional office to 
conduct an investigation on what could be cases of summary executions.

He declined to reveal details of these cases but said all incidents 
involved "shootouts" with policemen.

"We need to look into what police say are cases of shootouts. These 
(investigations) are covered by the memo (from the CHR central 
office). We already sent subpoenas to concern police units for them 
to provide us with their own investigation reports," Villarino told 
CEBU DAILY NEWS yesterday.

Aside from cases of shootouts with the police, the CHR investigator 
said they were also looking into the slay of suspected criminals by 
unidentified assailants.

But for now, he said they could not determine yet whether or not 
there are vigilantes in Cebu.

According to Villarino, the reports on the suspected extrajudicial 
killings were culled mainly on news reports and he was now calling on 
the families of the victims to come to the CHR-7 office to file a 
formal complaint.

We are ready

Chief Supt. Noli Talino, director of the Police Regional Office in 
Central Visayas (PRO-7), said they welcomed the investigation by the CHR.

"We're open to any probe and we will cooperate," said Talino, 
stressing that he personally would not tolerate abuses done by 
policemen, including extrajudicial killing of criminals.

Since May 19, at least 25 suspected drug personalities, pushers, and 
users in Cebu and other parts of Central Visayas were killed in an 
alleged shootout with police in various areas in the region and in 
Metro Manila.

Among them were Rowen "Yawa" Secretaria, the third most wanted drug 
personality in the region, who along with his two cohorts, were 
killed on Banacon Island in Getafe town, Bohol last May 28; and 
Central Visayas' top drug personality Jeffrey "Jaguar" Diaz, who was 
gunned down in Las Pinas City on June 17 by Cebu-based police operatives.

Talino maintained that the suspects were killed in legitimate police 
operations.

He said the concerned policemen need not worry about lawsuits from 
people claiming to be victims of police brutality and abuse since 
PRO-7 has a legal team composed of retired justices, judges, 
government prosecutors and private law practitioners who recently 
bonded together to defend policemen slapped with charges while in the 
performance of their official duties.

The group is headed by retired Court of Appeals Justice Isaias 
Dicdican and retired Judge Silvestre Maamo Jr. of the Regional Trial 
Court in Cebu City.

"Our legal volunteers are ready," Talino said.

Justice

Villarino appealed to policemen and private citizens not to take the 
law into their own hands, saying every person accused of a crime 
deserves a day in court.

"And even if they are criminals, they should be given the opportunity 
to defend themselves in court. Who knows they will be cleared of the 
accusations. That's better than seeing them dead without even having 
the opportunity to prove their innocence," he explained.

Villarino said he understood the sentiments of people who were 
dismayed with the slow pace of justice in the country.

"Yes, I admit. The wheels of justice grind slowly. But (does) killing 
suspected criminals speed up the pace of justice in our country? In 
fact, when we kill a criminal, are we not committing another crime? 
How can you be better off than a criminal?" he asked.

"People have been impatient and the product of this impatience is the 
spate of killings we have now. But will these killings solve the case 
of illegal drugs? We have yet to see whether killing suspected 
criminals will be the solution to the drug problem," he added.

Villarino said the suspected drug lords have the right to defend 
themselves against accusations, regardless of the fact that they 
could afford to hire good lawyers.

"The law doesn't state that if you're an alleged drug lord, you 
should be denied access to high caliber and capable lawyers. That is 
unfair and discriminatory," he said.

Human rights

In his first State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, President 
Duterte vowed to uphold human rights but said this should not be used 
as an excuse to destroy the country.

"Human rights must work to uplift human dignity. But human rights 
cannot be used as a shield or excuse to destroy the country," he said.

The President received a resounding applause after this statement 
addressing criticisms of human rights violations following a series 
of killings since he assumed his post noon of June 30.

Duterte is famously at odds with the CHR, tracing back to the time 
when he was still mayor of Davao City where vigilante killings of 
criminals were rampant.

He promised to continue his relentless war against drugs amid the 
execution of suspected drug lords and pushers.

Villarino said he didn't find anything wrong with Duterte's 
pronouncements during the Sona, particularly with regards to human rights.

"It only shows he knows that the CHR has authority to conduct 
investigations. He was correct when he said that 'human rights must 
work to uplift human dignity.' That's the precise duty of government," he said.

While he lauded President Duterte's campaign to eliminate illegal 
drugs, Villarino said it should be done the right way.

"We're happy that the government is finally doing its job in 
promoting peace and solving criminality by exercising police power 
for the general welfare of its citizenry," he said.

"But what does an ordinary citizen have against the awesome powers of 
government? If you're a suspected drug pusher or criminal, what you 
only have is the guarantee under the constitution so the government 
will not abuse its power," he said.

Vigilantism?

Talino on Monday said he received a text message on July 21 from an 
unnamed group, which he suspected to a vigilante group, that 
volunteered to help the police kill those engaged in the illegal drugs trade.

Talino said he advised the group not to take the law into their own 
hands and instead relay the information to the police so they could work on it.

Since then, at least three suspected drug users and a pusher were 
gunned down by unidentified persons in different areas in Cebu.

Two persons - Roldan Cuizon, 30, and Wilson Cuizon, 23, - were shot 
dead by unknown assailants while purportedly having a pot session in 
Barangay Buaya, Lapu-Lapu City last July 22.

On the same day, Bonie "Sadam" Ponce, an alleged drug pusher in Danao 
City, was gunned down by two unidentified men on board a motorcycle. 
The victim was left dead with a written note that said, "Pusher ako, 
wag ninyo tularan."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom