'Filipino Lives Matter': Senators seek end to unabated killings involving cops
The Senate leadership on Monday asked its justice and human rights committee to conduct a public hearing on the unabated killings of Filipinos regardless of sex or social positions throughout the archipelago.
The probe was triggered by a privilege speech of Senator Richard J. Gordon who cited a long list of these killings the past months and the involvement of policemen in these activities. He said that lawyers are also victims.
Based on the recommendation of Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III referred the Gordon speech to Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, justice committee chairman. Dela Rosa was a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.
Zubiri agreed that a legislative action would hopefully stop these killings.
Police involvement in crimes was highlighted by the killing of a mother and her son in Paniqui, Tarlac last year.
Police Staff Sergeant Jonel Nuezca of the Parañaque police force was caught in a video shooting dead the mother and her son. Nuezca has since been dismissed from the force.
“Filipino Lives Matter,” Gordon said of these killings, referring to the “Black Lives Matter” slogan of African-Americans.
Gordon fears that the use of policemen for the illegal drug trade and the involvement of policemen in killings could be a copy of Colombia in South America.
He lamented that the People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB) in the PNP organization, which could impose strict sanctions against erring policemen, is not functioning.
Gordon suggested that it might not be a bad idea to return police control to mayors from the PNP.
These bad policemen are a disgrace, he said.
Gordon wondered aloud why bad policemen stain their “badges of honor” although President Duterte had increased their monthly salaries to high levels to the chagrin of other public servants.
And the PNP has a sizeable intelligence fund, he added
Gordon said he would ask the House of Representatives to act on a bill seeking the establishment of a separate heinous crime facility, a measure that the Senate has already approved. “This bill is at the House Committee on Appropriations, he said.
“We operate under a rule of law,” Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, said.