EJK should be independent, distinct crime from murder – CHR

COMPOSITE IMAGE: DANIELLA AGACER FROM AFP PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines — Extrajudicial killings (EJKs) should be “independent and distinct from the crime of murder,” according to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

During the House committee on justice’s hearing on House Bill (HB) 10986, CHR Human Rights Protection Office Director Atty. Jasmin Navarro-Regino disagreed with proposals to make EJK “an aggravating or qualifying circumstance.”

READ: CHR: Limiting commission of EJKs to state agents possible

“We beg to disagree because we would want EJK as an independent and distinct from the crime of murder. Why? Because this stance is more compelling as it recognizes the unique nature of EJK and the systemic issues underlying it,” Regino said on Wednesday.

She further explained that considering EJK as “an aggravating, qualifying circumstance” shifts the focus “to the individual perpetrator rather than the systemic factors that enable such killings.”

“This approach fails to address the underlying issues of impunity, abuse of power, and state-sanctioned violence. Also, EJK has a profound impact on the victims’ families and the community as a whole, causing trauma, fear, and an erosion of trust in the justice system,” Regino said.

“Recognizing EJK as a separate crime is crucial, not merely as a legal technicality, but a necessary step to acknowledge the gravity of the offense, facilitate more effective investigations and prosecutions and ultimately hold perpetrators accountable,” she added.

HB 10986 seeks to classify and penalize extra-judicial killings as a heinous crime while providing reparations for the victims. The measure is one of the bills filed by the quad committee based on its findings from its hearings last year.