Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Statement on the 219 verified cases of EJKs disclosed by the Department of Justice
Dispatch from Crame No. 121

We should ask for a breakdown of the 219 "verified" cases of EJKs disclosed by the DOJ (via a July 21 item of Rappler) by way of a retort to my claim, based on reliable sources that the SOJ issued an internal directive not to file cases against law enforcement officers enforcing the War on Drugs. I was obviously referring to the present-day EJKs i.e., the summary execution of suspected drug offenders.

The above data of 219 EJKs apparently refers to those cases covered by the mandate of the AO35 Inter-Agency Committee on Extra-Legal Killings, Enforced Disappearances, Torture and Other Grave Violations of the Right to Life, Liberty and Security of Persons.

May I remind Aguirre that the EJKs comprehended, and in fact defined, under AO35 pertain to the killings of militants or activists, members of progressive and cause-oriented groups and the like (e.g., union leaders, agrarian leaders, anti-mining advocates, etc.), most, if not all, of which occurred before the Duterte administration, and not to the current species of EJKs targetting suspected drug offenders who are killed during police operations and by unknown vigilante killers, all in the name of the Duterte regime's War on Drugs.

I should know because I was the one who drafted the AO35 (as then SOJ) and recommended the same to then President PNoy who signed and issued the same.

Pakilinaw po, Mr. Aguirre, yung linabas nyong data. Ilan ba dyan yung mga EJKs ng mga small-time/poor drug pushers and users.

Mukhang nanloloko na naman kayo. Stop misleading or fooling the people, please...