Dispatch from Crame No. 1227:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima on On the involvement of police personnel in the case of the missing "sabungeros"

3/2/22

Bakit hindi na tayo nagulat na inuugnay na naman ang mga tiwaling pulis sa pagkawala nitong mga sabungero?

These series of disappearance of people involved in gambling warrants public attention and a serious investigation, especially now that there are allegations of state forces being involved (again). While it is true that these were perpetrated by a "few rotten eggs," this "rottenness" was encouraged further by the President himself.

The allegations of one "Alyas Berto," a sabungero, that he was made to choose between "kulong or patay" in 2020 by members of the PNP, should be taken seriously. Hindi imposible na matagal nang nangyayari ang ganitong kalakaran at malalim na ang ugat nito.

We have seen this before. Too many murderous times. Poor drug suspects. Activists. "Nanlaban." Summarily executed. By police officers or their agents. This is the result of the impunity and violence propagated by this sindikato regime which has no regard for human life and the rule of law.

As long as impunity remains a state policy, summary killings, forced disappearances, abductions, crimes that should have long been buried in the darkest period in our history but were resurrected by the Duterte regime, will continue to haunt us. Hindi tayo dapat masanay na lang sa mga ganitong pangyayari. Maging mapagbantay tayo hangga't mapanagot ang mga salarin. We do not want this to drag on in the next six years.

(Access the handwritten version, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_1227)