Lacson wants Senator-elect Bato to look into plight of drug war victims

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson said he wants Senator-elect Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa to look into the issues of the drug war victims as he will offer the chairmanship of Senate committee on public order to the incoming senator.

“So ako naman nag-offer sa kanya [Dela Rosa], hawakan mo yung public order… e ang talagang purpose ko para lumawak ang perspective niya.. Makita mo naman yung plight na yung mga umiiyak na kamag-anak na napatay ng [Oplan] Tokhang,” Lacson, who currently chairs the committee on public order, said over AM radio station DWIZ on Saturday.

Dela Rosa, who was the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, led the “Oplan Tokhang” anti-drug program of the Duterte administration.

Latest figures from Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and PNP showed that a total of 5,176 drug suspects were killed since President Rodrigo Duterte launched the bloody drug war in July 2016.

READ: Gov’t: 72 killed in January 2019 drug ops; total hits 5,176

Lacson said as Dela Rosa presides over a Senate hearing, the former top police official should not only study the perspective of lawmen but also view the tokhang victims’ perspective.

“Kasi iiyak sayo ‘yun [drug war victims] e. ‘Pag ikaw ay nagprecide ng isang pagdinig, mararamdaman mo na hindi lang panig ng law enforcement ang dapat natin tinitingnan dito; tingnan din ‘yung posibleng napagkamalan,” Lacson said.

Lacson also cited the case of senior high school student Kian de los Santos in 2017, who was killed by Caloocan police officers during an anti-drug operation.

He said Dela Rosa must widen his perspective on drug cases.

“Tulad nung nangyari ito yung kay Kian de los Santos… para lang lumawak ‘yung kanyang perspective,” Lacson said. (Editor: Julie Espinosa)

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