Press Release
August 24, 2016

SEN DICK PUMPS BATO, DOJ ON EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS

Digging deeper into extra-judicial killings, Senator Richard J. Gordon yesterday asked for a more comprehensive data on the killings committed by persons riding in tandems on motorcycles, or more commonly known as riding in tandems. These are considered extra-judicial killings.

During the joint Senate committee on extra-judicial killings, Gordon asked Philippine National Police Director General Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa to give a comprehensive report on riding in tandems.

"I'd like to ask Gen. Dela Rosa if he could also bring the report on people killed by riding in tandems. For so many years, we have been inflicted with this malady called riding in tandem. People are killed and I don't hear any solution to these cases...I want to know from the General, when he comes back, how many people have been killed by riding in tandems? How many cases have been reported and solved? How many have been prosecuted to the successful occurrence?" he said.

Gordon pointed out that extra-judicial killings have been occurring even before the Duterte administration, adding that the issue has already been a concern in the international community in the past.

"This has been going on long before. When I was lobbying for the Veterans' Bill during my first stint in the Senate, no less than a senator from Vermont, USA (who chaired the Appropriations Committee) raised the cases of unexplained killings. they will not approve aid for the Philippines unless we do something about the unexplained killings," he said.

Another point raised by the senator was the complaint about placards placed on top of the victims' bodies that say "Drug pusher ako, wag tularan." He said the shame campaign has been practiced even in past administrations.

"When you say placards are being shown, I want to point out that this has been done before. In the early days of the previous administrations, there were houses being painted saying 'This is a house of a drug pusher!' and placards saying 'I am a drug pusher' are also placed around criminals. To be fair to the public, this is nothing new. It has been done before, even during the time of the (Committee on Justice and Human Rights) Chairman as Commission on Human Rights chair," he said.

Meanwhile, Gordon questioned the Department of Justice (DOJ) on prisoners who are allowed to come out of detention to commit assassinations; and on the prosecution of suspected drug lords and confiscation of their properties.

"I also would like to know how many cases of people, I think this should be for the Department of Justice, were allowed to escape from prison and have been able to perpetrate killings of people, including mayors, judges, fiscals? Finally, from the DOJ also, I would like to know whether in fact, institutionally as the law provides and I reiterate this, how many cases of drug lords that have been incarcerated? Obviously, the cases have been dismissed in the lower courts. How many cases of confiscation of the profits of crime have there been? Meaning, how many cars, houses, money in banks have been confiscated by the DOJ and by law enforcement authorities? That is in the law," he probed.

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