Facing the hearing for the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s 2018 budget on Thursday, Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre said there were only around 1,000 victims of vigilante killings since President Duterte waged war against drugs in July last year until May, a claim at least one senator did not accept at face value.
According to the data provided by the Philippine National Police’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM), from July 1, 2016 until May 30 this year, there are 12,426 total number of homicide cases, 7,888 of which are still under investigation. Meanwhile, 3,050 were killed in legitimate police operations in the same period.
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Aguirre, when asked by the members of the Finance committee, said he was citing data from the police.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II (File photo JOAN BONDOC / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Committee chairman Senator Loren Legarda asked Aguirre: “The 1,000 came from your own statement. What’s your source of that, is it the NBI or PNP, of the 1,000 plus alleged vigilante killings?”
Aguirre replied: “Madam chair, that’s the information collated and forwarded to us, to the office of the (Justice) secretary, which I needed when I visited the US and one of the topics I would answer, with respect to these killings, so…”
Legarda again clarified, “Sinong source or government agency nitong figure ng alleged vigilante killings (Who is the source or government agency which gave out this figure of alleged vigilante killings)?”
“It’s the police,” Aguirre answered.
Legarda then said the Senate perhaps could request an official document from the PNP to make sure that “this is not just hearsay in a committee hearing.” IDL