The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Saturday denied that President Duterte instructed them to ban the release of information pertaining to the recent killings of human rights defenders and activists in the country.
“The Philippine National Police categorically denies that President Rodrigo Duterte issued any order prohibiting the release of information or data with regard to the ongoing investigation on the recent attacks against rights defenders and activists,” said Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson.
Banac made the remark after the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) accused the PNP of withholding the data on the killings allegedly on Duterte’s order, which resulted in the CHR’s failure to file appropriate cases.
The most recent case being investigated by the CHR is the fatal shooting of human rights activist Zara Alvarez perpetrated by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Bacolod City on August 17.
Aside from the motu propio investigation by the CHR, the PNP also conducted its own probe on the killing of Alvarez.
Banac maintained that the PNP is compliant to the established protocols and laws in the conduct of investigation on crime incidents by the concerned authorities.
“In the conduct of investigation on crime incidents, the PNP strictly adheres to all procedures which are covered by the Rules on Evidence and the Data Privacy Law mandating the protection of identities while the investigation is pending,” Banac said.
“Once the case is filed with the prosecutor, the police is at no liberty to disclose any and all details without clearance from the assigned prosecutor,” he added.
Banac noted that the CHR “is free to conduct its own investigation” but it must be able “to develop and procure its own evidence.”
“This is independent and separate from the standard protocols of the Philippine National Police,” he said.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has also denied that Duterte ordered the PNP to ban the release of data on the recent killings of activists and rights defenders.
Aside from the recent killings, the CHR had accused the PNP in 2017 of refusal to share the data on the government’s bloody anti-illegal drug operations allegedly also due to the President’s order. (Martin A. Sadongdong)
