Former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III reminded the present administration that the “horrible” killing of the 17-year-old student in the hands of policemen during a drug raid in Caloocan City was against the law.
“Ang daming pwedeng sabihin, pero babalik tayo dito, nakalagay naman sa Saligang Batas kung anong dapat gawin. Sana basahin ulit, sana sundan ng buong-buo (There are a lot of things to say, but we go back [to the basic—Constitution], it stated here what to do. I hope they read it and follow it through and through),” Aquino said in an interview after the commemoration of his father Ninoy Aquino’s 34th death anniversary at the Manila Memorial Park on Monday.
“Ako ang pananaw ko noong araw pa, maski saan mo tignan, sa Saligang Batas, sa simbahang kinabibilangan, bawal kasing pumatay syempre (My perspective ever since is that whichever you view it, in the Constitution, in the Church that we belong, it is illegal to kill, of course),” he added, when asked if the recent killings made him angry.
Former President Noynoy Aquino entertains media interviews in a file photo following a Mass for the eighth death anniversary of his mother, former President Cory Aquino at Manila Memorial Park, Parañaque. Dexter Cabalza/Inquirer file photo
The former president then backed a thorough investigation that would shed light on circumstances surrounding Delos Santos’ death.
“Syempre pag binabasa ko yung nakikita ko sa dyaryo no… syempre nakakagimbal (Of course whenever I read it on the newspaper it is really horrible),” Aquino said. “Pero tinuruan din naman tayo sa trabaho natin, bilang mambabatas at pangulo, eh kailangan ng imbestigasyong kaukulan, para naman hindi haka haka.” (But we were taught in our job, as lawmaker and president, investigation is necessary to brush aside speculations)
“Ngayon, importante dun sa imbestigasyon wag naman umabot ng pagkatagal-tagal. Ang matagal na imbestigasyon imbes na nagpapalinaw, nagpapalabo (Now, it is important to have a speedy investigation. A slow-paced investigation is just muddling the whole case instead of shedding light),” he added.
When asked about the incidents of alleged “extrajudicial and state-sponsored killings” under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, Aquino said he had no evidence to prove such allegations except saying that the state has the obligation to protect its people.
“Wala tayong death penalty so walang judicial killing. Kung walang judicial killing, walang extra judicial killing. So dito maliwanag, may murder, may homicide. Ang importante may pinatay, may pumatay hanapin yung pumatay, magbayad ng kaukulang parusa,” he said.
(We don’t have a death penalty so there is no judicial killing. If there is no judicial killing, there is no extra judicial killing. So, it is clear here that there was murder, there was homicide. More importantly, there was someone killed, there was someone who perpetrated the killing, pay the price)
“Wala kong tangan na ebidensya pero may state obligation na protektahan lahat ng mga mamamayan na kailangan tugisin lahat ng mga may sala sa Lipunan (I don’t have evidence but there is a state obligation to protect the citizenry and to go after those who perpetrated the crime against our nation),” he added when asked again if he believes that the recent killings were state-sponsored. JPV
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