Senator Panfilo Lacson. SCREENGRAB FROM INQUIRER.NET VIDEO
Senator Panfilo Lacson on Thursday questioned the government’s silence on the alleged vigilante killings in the country, saying he has yet to hear from Malacañang and the Philippine National Police (PNP) on how they intend to resolve these cases.
“I have yet to hear a pronouncement from the Palace and even from General Dela Rosa na mayroon silang ginagawa (that they are doing something) to resolve those cases or find solutions doon sa nangyayaring (to the) summary killings,” Lacson, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, said during the weekly Kapihan sa Senado.
Lacson was referring to PNP Director-General Ronald Dela Rosa.
“Hanggang ngayon kung tahimik pa rin yung kapulisan, kung wala pa rin silang briefing man lang [or] mga leads na na-establish, [dapat] kalampagin natin sila,” the senator said.
(Until now the police have remained quiet, they won’t even give briefings or have established any leads; we must demand these from them.)
READ: IBP calls for ‘serious, credible’ probe of vigilante killings
Lacson, who earlier disclosed receiving information from PNP sources that there were 600 possible summary killings in July alone, said he would now support a Senate investigation “if only for the vigilante killings.”
“If only for the vigilante killings, I think tama yun (that’s right), may (there’s a) necessity to look into (it). Kasi tatanungin natin (We should ask them), has it become a policy now to allow or just turn a blind eye doon sa (on) vigilante killings?”
“And 600 murders a month, kung wala man lang maski isang naso-solve, puwede nating tanungin ang PNP: ito na ba yung policy natin ngayon? Pabayaan natin maski sino na lang ay puwedeng pumatay at maski sino na lang ay mamatay?” The senator further asked.
(And 600 murders a month, if not one case is solved, we can ask the PNP: Is this our policy now? That we should just allow anyone to kill and be killed?)
Lacson said the PNP leadership should be “encouraged” to attend the Senate probe “if only to be transparent in what they are doing.”
“Of course, they already said they don’t tolerate, that they don’t condone summary killings by vigilante groups but nasaan yung pruweba na hindi niyo tino-tolerate (where is the proof that they don’t tolerate these killings)?” Lacson said. Jaehwa Bernardo, INQUIRER.net trainee/CDG/rga
READ: Palace: Police probing alleged vigilante killings