Only 71 murder, homicide cases in ‘drug war’ filed, DOJ records show

The body of drug suspect Jayson Reuyan lies on BAC-11 Street near the Parañaque River in Pasay City after he was killed in a police buy-bust operation. (Photo by RICHARD A. REYES/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

Amid thousands of people killed since the government launched its war on drugs last year, only 71 cases have been filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) and half of it were even dismissed, records from the government agency showed.

Based on the DOJ’s Inventory of Murder and Homicide Cases that are allegedly related to the campaign against illegal drugs issued on Friday, 45 cases involved those killed during legitimate police operations while 26 cases involved those killed outside of legitimate police operations. No case has been filed involving those considered as “collateral death” during police operations.

Of the 71 cases of murder and homicide, 35 were dismissed, 19 were filed in court, and 17 were pending preliminary investigation.

The DOJ data, covering July 1, 2016 to August 22 this year, did not provide any specific reason for the dismissal of the cases. But cases are usually dismissed due to lack of probable cause.

Most of the cases were filed in the National Capital Region (NCR) with 45 cases, followed by Regions 4 and 5, with seven cases each.

The DOJ inventory did not include the case of 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos, as it was filed only on Aug. 25.

Delos Santos’ death has drawn public outrage against Duterte’s violent crackdown against illegal drugs and is a subject of a Senate investigation. KGA