SENATE COMMITTEE REPORT ON SPATE OF KILLINGS, OUT THIS WEEK

Terminating the investigation in aid of legislation conducted jointly by the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights and the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on the spate of recent and rampant killings after six hearings, Senator Richard J. Gordon intends to file a committee report with recommendations by Monday, if possible, or within the week.

Gordon, chair of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights who terminated the inquiry upon the motion of some members, said they have already gathered sufficient information from the hearings already conducted to submit a report with recommendations as to remedies through legislation.

"We are terminating the investigation as far as recent and rampant killings is concerned. We already learned enough to enable us to craft proposed measures that would improve law enforcement procedures in the country. If it's possible, we will submit it by Monday or if you allow us some leeway, within the week," the senator said.

"We have established na may rule of law sa ating bayan. It is not perfect but you can see that the branches of government are working. There is a rule of law, the Rule Book has not been thrown out of the window. There is no proof to show that there is a sustained systematic policy of state-sponsored killings. The President is motivated to kill the use of illegal drugs because he really means to eradicate illegal drugs. But I don't think he is really going to push anybody and say kill," he added.

Among the recommendations he intends the report to contain will include proposed measures that should be crafted to ensure that law enforcement authorities will really perform their duties with dispatch to assure public safety.

These includes setting a rigid deadline for policemen in investigating crimes within their jurisdictions.

"Dapat aksyon agad. Yung mga pulis dapat matapos ang imbestigasyon within three days, tapos suspindihin or idismiss agad kung may mga pulis na involved. Tapos automatic na fa-filean ng Department of Justice ng criminal cases. Dapat mabilis din mag-imbistiga ang Internal Affairs Service ng Philippine National Police, although administrative case lang ang pwede nilang i-file," the senator said.

With regards to the chiefs of police or higher-ranking officers in-charge of police stations, provinces or regions, Gordon said the committee will also recommend amendments to existing laws so that they could be sanctioned should they be remiss in their duties of ensuring that crimes within their jurisdictions are solved with dispatch.

"You commit crime by omission or commission. Dapat yung mga hepe, ginagawa yung trabaho nila. When you omit to do your duty, that's a crime, pag wala kang naso-solve sa mga crimes sa presinto mo, dapat suspindihin or i-dismiss ka," he explained.

Gordon said he will also push for the enactment of a law requiring bigger plate numbers for motorcycles to take a bite out of crime.

"Dapat ang plate number ng mga motorsiko, malalaki para medaling makita. Pag ginamit ng mga motor-cycle riding tandems sa paggawa ng krimen, makikita agad at madaling maituturo ng mga witnesses," he pointed out.

The senator will also recommend requiring the Philippine National Police (PNP) to regularly submit to both Houses of Congress a list of index crimes across the country which would serve as reference for creating proposed legislation. He will also propose allocating budget for the PNP to procure body cameras that could be used by policemen responding to crime alerts or conducting police operations to provide visual documentation.