De Lima files resolution to probe ‘Bangkay sa Bangka’ modus

Sen. Leila de Lima
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Senator Leila de Lima on Thursday filed a resolution to probe Al Jazeera’s reports on “Bangkay sa Bangka (cadavers in boat)” modus where bodies of victims slain in President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs are allegedly dumped in Manila Bay.

“These reports point to an alarming and reprehensible defect in our criminal justice system where an apparent cycle of impunity is embedded and reinforced,” she said in a statement, referring to the Qatar-based news agency’s exclusive news report on July 28.

The detained senator on Sunday condemned the said “Bangkay sa Bangka” modus, and announced her plan to file for a Senate investigation on it.

READ: De Lima to call probe on ‘Bangkay sa Bangka’ modus

In “Bangkay sa Bangka,” de Lima added, fishermen were being paid by the police to dump cadavers of suspected drug users and peddlers into the Manila Bay.

“Unscrupulous law enforcement agents, who are emboldened into summarily executing drug suspects rather than arresting and prosecuting them, are themselves the investigators of the crimes they have committed and are, thus in a unique position to hide their crimes by resorting to various methods of disposing of evidence,” the senator said.

The former justice secretary also claimed these are very similar to what self-confessed Davao Death Squad (DDS) member Edgar Matobato testified in the Senate probe on extrajudicial and summary killings in the drug war.

“The manner in which these bodies were disposed of is starkly similar to the way that the members of the DDS allegedly disposed of the remains of some of their victims,” she pointed out.

“(D)ami na kaya minsan iyong bangka namin, kumakarga iyan ng 50 katao. Pero minsan ang nakakarga namin may pito, may walo, may lima. Binibiyak muna ang katawan pagkatapos tinatapon sa dagat at saka nilalagyan minsan iyong buhangin, minsan iyong hollow block,” Matobato testified in September 15, 2016.

(Sometimes, our boat would carry up to 50 bodies. Sometimes, just seven, eight or five. We would chop the bodies then throw them at sea, sometimes, we would put sand or hollow blocks to weigh them down.)

De Lima said the experiences recounted by the fishermen were a fulfillment of Duterte’s campaign promise of “fattening the fish in Manila Bay by dumping 100,000 bodies of drug users and pushers.”

READ: Kill the criminals! Duterte’s vote-winning vow

“The gory and merciless practice recounted by fishermen in the Al Jazeera article is reminiscent of the modus operandi employed by the DDS, and the apparent fulfillment of the threat made by then Davao City Mayor Duterte,” she said.

The senator also pointed out that this was not the first time authorities allegedly tried to impede the detection, investigation or prosecution of a crime, citing a June 29 special report by Reuters. The foreign news wire claimed that certain Manila police officers used local hospitals to hide their extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims.

Meanwhile, De Lima also proposed to review and amend existing laws including, Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1829 (Penalizing Obstruction of Apprehension and Prosecution of Criminal Offenders) and certain Philippine National Police (PNP) policies.

“The Senate should also review existing legislations to ensure that the rights of suspects or persons subject of law enforcement operations have been observed, and that the commission of abuses and outright crimes during and after police operations are addressed and prevented from being committed with impunity,” she said.

De Lima further urged her Senate colleagues to review and act on her authored Senate Bill No. 1479, also known as the Cadaver Handling Act of 2017, which seeks to stop authorities who commit human rights abuses and crimes. IDL