Lacson to Duterte: Don’t criticize, order probe

Senator Panfilo Lacson (inset) expressed disagreement with President Rodrigo Duterte when the Chief Executive criticized media coming out with the dramatic picture of a slain drug suspect. Lacson said Duterte should have instead ordered a probe into the killing. INQUIRER FILE / RAFFY LERMA

Instead of criticizing the media that carried the photo of a slain drug suspect, President Rodrigo Duterte should have ordered the police to investigate the killing, Senator Panfilo Lacson said on Monday.

Lacson noted that not all the reported deaths of alleged drug suspects under the Duterte administration were killed in police operations, saying a number of them were killed by supposed vigilante groups.

“Para maipakita ng PNP (Philippine National Police) na hindi nila tino-tolerate yung mga vigilante killings, dapat i-solve nila, hanapin nila kung sino yung mga killer,” he said in an interview over GMA News TV.

The senator cited the case of Michael Siaron, a pedicab driver and alleged drug pusher, who was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men in Pasay City last July 23.

A photo of Siaron’s wife cradling his body went viral and was published in the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Duterte, in his first State of the Nation address on July 25, described the photo’s publication as too dramatic.

READ: Duterte on photo of wife cradling slain ‘drug pusher’: Nagda-dramahan tayo

The criticism did not sit well with Lacson, who headed the PNP during the time of former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.

“Yung pagka-announce sa Sona ni Pangulong Duterte, parang binigyang-sisi o na-criticized pa nya ang isang broadsheet samantalang ang dapat, ang mas angkop na mensahe nya dun e panawagan sa ating mga kapulisan na i-solve yung murder na nangyari kay Michael Siaron sa halip na parang sinasabi nya na yung diyaryo e kasama sa pagda-drama,” the senator said.

“Siguro kung nalaman nya lamang na hindi sa police operation namatay si Siaron, baka naging iba ang kanyang pahayag,” he added.

READ: Widow tells Duterte: Kill drugs not people

While he does not agree that the Senate should investigate the reported killings of drug suspects, Lacson said he would participate in the investigation of the committee on justice headed by Senator Leila de Lima.

But Lacson said the Senate probe should be confined only to the alleged summary executions done by the police.

“Ayaw kong malagay sa alanganin ang ating mga kapulisan na parang nasa-subject sa fishing expedition o kaya mapapahiya dun sa Senado at saka magsisiraan sila ng loob at masira yung momentum ng ating kapulisan sa pakikipaglaban sa illegal drugs,” he said./rga