By: Hannah L. Torregoza
Calling it shocking and worrisome, senators are seeing red and questioning why minors are getting killed in President Duterte’s war on drugs.
Senators Richard Gordon and Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV said they would push for a Senate probe into the death of Kian Loyd delos Santos.
“I plan to file a resolution kasi nakababahala talaga iyong news reports. Hindi lang iyan, may lumalabas pa na may paglilinlang sa pagpaslang,” said Aquino in a statement.
Police claimed that Delos Santos shot them several times, prompting them to retaliate, killing him. But a CCTV footage from the barangay showed two policemen dragging the victim to the place where he was found dead.
“Makikita naman natin na hindi siya bumunot ng baril dahil dala-dala siya sa sulok kaya kailangan itong maimbestigahan at maparusahan ang mga nasa likod nito,” Aquino stressed.
Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara also agreed for the need of a Senate probe into the recent spate of killings.
“The body count is reaching alarming levels. We need to ensure that we are not creating killing machines. We need speedy justice machines, and ensure that we are strengthening our institutions like the courts, the police, the prosecutors,” Angara said.
“We need our people to believe in the justice system. Vigilante justice is not a systemic and long term solution,” he added.
Gordon reminded the President that Filipinos voted for him because of his promise to resolve illegal drugs.
“But there’s such a thing as overkill. Everything must be done in balance,” Gordon said in an interview.
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, likewise condemned the killings and questioned Duterte’s non-combative approach to the illegal drug shipment case hounding the Bureau of Customs (BoC).
“ Thirty-two (32) and 25 killings in just two areas within two days while those killed allegedly resisted arrest by firing back at the lawmen seem like they are mutually contrived,” Lacson said.
Lacson said it is puzzling that the President’s passion in fighting illegal drugs is only aimed at demand reduction by killing drug pushers but evidently wanting in the supply constriction effort.
“Having said that, I wonder why he’s not hitting hard on the Customs people responsible, directly or indirectly for the apparent free flow into the country of tons of high grade meth coming from China? That, for the life of me, I can’t understand,” he said.
