COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ORDER AND DANGEROUS DRUGS
14 August 2023; 10AM
Recto & Laurel Room
Dela Rosa: OPENING STATEMENT

AGENDA:

• Senate Bill Nos. 2031, 948 and 437 - CCTV Act (By: Sens. Tulfo, Gatchalian and Dela Rosa)

• Senate Bill Nos. 2199, 1520, 1057 and 436 - Law Enforcement Body-worn Camera Act (By: Sens. Tulfo, Revilla, Gatchalian and Dela Rosa)

• Senate Bill No. No. 1977 - Checkpoint Regularization Act (By: Sen. Tulfo)

• P.S. Res. No. 728 - Ambush of Aparri Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda (By: Sen. Dela Rosa)

Parang kailan lang noong tayo ay nag patawag ng mga pagdinig para imbestigahan ang iba't ibang kaso ng pagpatay sa mga opisyal ng ating pamahalaan. Labis nating ikinagulat ang harap-harapan at tila walang kinatatakutang mga insidente ng pamamaslang. Ngunit higit sa pagkagulat ay ang ating lungkot at pagkadismaya.

Personal o politikal man ang motibo, hindi kailanman magiging katanggap-tanggap ang pagpatay sa isang halal ng taumbayan. Kahit na hindi halal, napakaimportante po ng buhay. Kung makita mo ngayon, nandito iyong anim na mga babae na widow ng mga namatay at alam natin na hindi dapat ito namatay. Nagkataon lang nakasama sa loob ng sasakyan at para walang witness sa pagpatay kung sinong gustong patayin ay inubos, pinatay pati iyong mga hindi dapat patayin according to their motive, kung ano iyong motive nila. So you can just imagine, anim na widow na may kanya-kanyang pamilya, anim na grupo ng mga bata na ngayon ay wala nang ama dahil sa karahasan kaya talagang kumukulo ang dugo ko pagdating sa mga ganitong pang-aabuso.

Today, as the Chairman of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, I assure every Filipino that the Senate will not stop condemning these senseless killings of elected government officials and ordinary citizens. Those who chose the path of evil must be made to answer the consequences of their choices.

We hope that by the time that we end our investigation, we have formulated recommendations to help in giving justice to the dead and closure to the families they left behind. But most importantly, we hope to craft legislation that would strengthen the safety of our communities kagaya noong ating magiging polisiya pagdating sa checkpoint dahil nga ginamit pa iyong barikada ng checkpoint ng eskwelahan, nakasuot pa ng mga uniporme ng pulis at iyon pala ay papatay lang ng mga tao. So kailangan, it is very timely that we are going to tackle the bill filed by Senator Raffy Tulfo pertaining to checkpoint operations.

Additionally, paano pa natin lalong matutulungan ang ating law enforcement agencies na mapigilan ang paglaganap ng krimen?

Today, we consider the following proposals:

1. The CCTV Bills, napaka importante ng CCTV dahil iyon nga, kung wala kayong nakukuhang CCTV footages, blangko iyong mga imbestigador as to the perpetrators. Mabuti na lang may nakuha kayo. At least, may mga konti-konti kayong lead na sinusundan ngayon.

2. We shall also take up once again our Body-worn Camera bills, intending to protect both the people and law enforcement officers.

3. In addition, we shall also tackle Senate Bill No. 1977, which aims to strengthen our security checkpoints all over the country. These bills are here to promote safety for all of us.

4. Lastly, we shall discuss P.S. Resolution No. 728, which is about the Ambush of Aparri Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda. It is with great sorrow and disappointment that we are talking about murders of our fellow public servants again. Tila isa itong paulit-ulit na bangungot.

Akala ko ba kapag nag-conduct tayo ng Senate hearing dito about political killings, tila mahihimasmasan iyong mga ibang tao na may balak na gumawa nanaman ng political killings?

As we share information and testimonies, I am hoping that the truth will reveal itself so we can stop this madness.

Hindi natin kayang maibalik pa ang mga buhay na nawala. Ngunit nasa atin ang kakayahan upang siguruhing hindi na mauulit ang mga walang saysay at walang kabuluhang pamamaslang.

Maraming salamat po! Muli, nakikiramay po tayo sa mga naiwan ng mga nasawi.