More than 700 drug suspects were presumed to have resisted arrests during police operations, Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa told a Senate hearing on Tuesday.
“Regarding resisting arrests, it’s presumed that all these 702, the 702 deaths in police operations resisted arrests that’s why they are killed. Otherwise, they did not resist and did not offer threat to the arresting party and they are alive. That’s my presumption your honor,” Dela Rosa said.
He was responding to Senator Joel Villanueva’s question during the resumption of the hearing of the Senate committee on justice and human rights on the rise of killings in the country.
READ: Deaths ‘under investigation’ now at 899—Dela Rosa
“Excuse me, lahat po yun ganun ho ba ang situation..? Lahat ho yun, lahat yun ang official version? Nanlaban?” asked Senator Leila de Lima, who was presiding over the hearing as chair of the committee.
(Excuse me, was that the situation for all [cases]? Is that the official version for all of them? They resisted arrest?)
De la Rosa answered yes and corrected his own figure, saying that the right figure was 756, and not 702.
“And the official version of all of these is nanlaban po (that they resisted arrest)? Are all of these indicated in the corresponding (police) reports, your honor?” De Lima asked again, to which the PNP chief answered yes to both questions.
“Otherwise kung hindi sila nanlaban buhay sila (if they had not resisted arrest, they would be alive today,) your honor,” De la Rosa added.
“Yan po ang tinitinan natin dito (That’s what we are looking into). Pasensya na po (Pardon me), much as I’d want to believe you sir…” De Lima said but he was interrupted by de la Rosa , who said: “I hope you believe me your honor.”
“As much as I want to believe, yes there are cases na nanlaban nag resist o nag attempt ng mang-agaw ng armas (they resisted or attempted to seize firearms) but you’re telling us, you’re putting it on record that all these 756 deaths ganun ang (those were the) surrounding circumstances, nanlaban (they resisted) and this is supported by the corresponding police report?” asked De Lima.
And when the PNP chief answered yes to the question, the lady senator asked again: “Are you sure of that sir?”
“Your honor, unless proven otherwise, there’s controverting evidence, I presume that my men are performing their duties regularly,” Dela Rosa added. CDG/rga
READ: Only 22 cases on drug deaths filed, says PNP
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