Sen. Alan Peter S. Cayetano has assured the Filipino community in Geneva, Switzerland that the government does not tolerate impunity and other abuses within the Philippine National Police.
Cayetano, who is in Geneva as head of the 16-man Philippine delegation attending the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council, asserted that any killings involving police officials in President Duterte’s war on drugs are thoroughly investigated.
“Anyone killed by the police is investigated. Although the police operations were presumed legitimate, the presumption is not conclusive,” Cayetano said before hundreds of Filipinos from Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, Belgium, United Kingdom, Italy, and Canada.
“If evidence shows that there is extrajudicial killing, kakasuhan po ang mga alagad ng batas,” the senator said in his message to participants in the forum organized by overseas Filipino workers in Switzerland.
In the past, it was the drug lords, the corrupt, and criminals who were acting with impunity, Cayetano pointed out.
“They’re not afraid of the law. The police were afraid of catching them. Dahil sila pa ang makakasuhan. The fiscals were afraid of powerful organizations,” Cayetano said.
Cayetano said the PNP Internal Affairs Services is doing its mandate to conduct motu proprio investigations during incidents especially where police personnel discharge a firearm and where death, serious physical injury, or any violation of human rights occurred in the conduct of police operations.
He also said the PNP-IAS investigates where evidence was compromised, tampered with, obliterated, or lost while in the custody of police personnel; where a suspect in the custody of the police was seriously injured, and where the established rules of engagement have been violated.
Cayetano said the National Police Commission and the Philippine National Police have existing policies and guidelines to discipline their personnel and officials to prevent police impunity. (Hannah L. Torregoza)