Senator Leila de Lima has requested President Rodrigo Duterte to monitor the Senate hearings on the spate of killings in the country to find out the truth about extrajudicial killings and to ensure that due process and human rights are respected.
De Lima is chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, which is set to hold its hearings on the killings on August 22 and 23.
READ: De Lima calls for inquiry into spate of drug killings
“Sana ay masubaybayan po ninyo ang mga gagawing pagdinig ng Senado ukol sa mga patayang nagaganap. Nais po nating malaman ang katotohanan sa likod ng mga ito (I hope you could monitor the Senate hearing on the spate of killings which are happening. We want to know the truth about all these),” she said in an open letter to Duterte on Monday, a copy of which was furnished to the media.
“May mga indikasyon o teorya po na nagsasabing hindi lahat ng nangyayaring pagpatay ay talagang kaugnay, kundi kasabay lamang ng kampanya laban sa droga. May mga pagpatay na isinasabay o isinasakay lamang ng mga tiwaling kawani ng pamahalaan at mga kasabwat nila upang pagtakpan ang kanilang karumaldumal na partisipasyon sa kalakalan ng droga.”
(There are indications or theories which state that not all these killings are related but are happening alongside the war on drugs. There are killings perpetrated by corrupt officials and their accomplices to cover up their heinous involvement in the illegal drug trade.)
“Hindi nila isinusulong, kundi inililihis pa nga ang direksyon ng paglaban sa droga at sinasabotahe ang magagandang layunin ng kampamya (They are not pushing for but are misleading the direction of the campaign against illegal drugs and sabotaging the good objectives of the campaign),” she added.
De Lima said the Senate hearing was also aimed at helping the government succeed in its fight against illegal drugs and criminalities.
READ: De Lima asks Senate to probe drug slays
The hearing, she said, will also help Congress craft measures that would ensure proper enforcement of the law by authorities.
“Higit po sa lahat, hangad po natin gaya rin ng hangad ninyo, Pangulong Duterte, na palakasin pa ang sistema ng ating batas para matiyak ang pag-iral ng batas at paggalang sa karapatang pantao sa lahat ng pagkakataon,” De Lima added.
(Most of all, we share your aim, President Duterte, to strenghten our laws to ensure that the law and human rights will prevail at all times.) RAM/rga
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