By Gabriel Kim Leal
(October 19, 2024) – A human rights group on Saturday criticized Sen. Bato Dela Rosa’s call for a Senate-led probe into the controversial war on drugs of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
This came after Dela Rosa announced last Wednesday his intention to open a motu proprio investigation into the campaign that he himself spearheaded. He said this will be a parallel investigation to the ongoing hearing of the quad-committee at the House of Representatives.
“What sort of fairness and impartiality do we expect from an investigation called by no less than a human rights violator himself? Obviously, Sen. Dela Rosa wanted to defend Duterte and his cohorts in a controlled environment that is favorable to him,” said Karapatan deputy secretary general Maria Sol Taule in a statement.
Dela Rosa served as the chief of the Philippine National Police during the height of the bloody anti-drug campaign, which reportedly killed 30,000 individuals.
Taule pointed to recent testimonies in the quad committee hearings in the House of Representatives, which have raised serious allegations against Duterte and his top police officials.
One key testimony came from retired police colonel Royina Garma, who implicated Duterte and others in a “reward scheme” that incentivized police officers to kill drug suspects.
ALSO READ: Former PNP chiefs urged to clarify roles in Duterte’s drug war after Garma’s claims
“Duterte, Dela Rosa, and other government officials who were complicit in these killings should be held accountable. We should not allow these people to take control of the investigations that the victims have long been waiting for. We demand justice for the victims, impunity should end now,” added Taule.
Sen. Bong Go, a known ally of Dela Rosa and a former long-time aide of Duterte, filed a resolution last Friday seeking to investigate the drug war, alleging that the quad-committee hearing “provided an avenue” to “twist facts to undermine the anti-drug campaign.”
However, Sen. Risa Hontiveros suggested convening the committee of the whole to lead the investigation instead of it being handled solely by Dela Rosa.
The said committee is presided over by the Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero.
“Dito sa Senado, may UniTeam pa man or ngayong wala nang UniTeam, talagang hindi namin iiwan forever na nakabitin ‘yung widows and orphans ng EJKs (extrajudicial killings) nung war on drugs,” said Hontiveros in a statement.
Escudero likewise expressed his disagreement with Dela Rosa’s plan, citing the possible conflict of interest.
The International Criminal Court is also investigating Duterte, Dela Rosa, and several police officers for possible crimes against humanity during the brutal campaign.
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