CHR: PNP’s submission of ‘Tokhang’ reports to SC a step towards truth

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 on Jan. 13, 2017. (Photo by RICHARD A. REYES/Philippine Daily Inquirer)

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) welcomed on Thursday the Supreme Court’s (SC) order for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to submit all reports on the deaths of thousands of suspects in the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign, saying it is a “very significant” step towards finding the truth.

“This is a very significant step in knowing the truth. This is also a positive step simply because the CHR has also had difficulty obtaining reports from the PNP,” CHR spokesperson Atty. Jacqueline De Guia said in a forum in Quezon City.

SC justices unanimously junked on Tuesday Solicitor General Jose Calida’s appeal to have its Dec. 5, 2017, order revoked. The High Court’s order required the submission of the official PNP reports on the killings of around 4,000 drug suspects during the implementation of “Oplan Tokhang” from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2017.

The High Court ordered the PNP to submit the required reports within 15 days upon receipt of the resolution.

Malacañang said government has no choice but to comply with the SC order.

READ: Gov’t to comply with SC order on submission of drug war report

The PNP, on the other hand, may seek for more time to comply with the SC order, citing the hard time of consolidating the “sheer number of documents” related to the bloody anti-drug campaign.

De Guia said the PNP has yet to fulfill its commitment to provide the thousands of case files to the CHR.

READ: PNP to seek for more time to submit ‘Tokhang’ report       /muf