President Duterte has received the report on the review conducted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on 52 cases of police anti-illegal drugs operations which resulted in deaths.
Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra on Tuesday, Sept. 21, said the report included the DOJ’s recommendations which he did not disclose.
The DOJ is “just waiting for his (the President’s) action on the DOJ recommendations,” Guevarra said.
He said the report will also be sent to the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“We are sending a separate letter to the PNP chief (Gen. Guillermo T. Eleazar) this week, requesting a meeting to discuss our findings,” he said.
“I have verbally advised him of what we intend to do, and he (Eleazar) has promised his support and cooperation,” he added.
The PNP’s Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) has investigated around 6,000 anti-illegal operations with killings that have taken place since 2016.
Among these, the PNP-IAS submitted to the DOJ last June the records of 52 cases wherein it found administrative liability among the policemen involved.
Aside from the PNP, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) also submitted to the DOJ last June 107 cases of killings that happened during its operations.
As part of its commitment before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), a DOJ-led review panel has been reviewing since last year cases of killings that occurred during anti-illegal drugs operations since 2016 under the administration of President Duterte.