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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Remulla challenges figures showing increase in 'drug-related killings' under Marcos

Remulla challenges figures showing increase in 'drug-related killings' under Marcos

Published Aug 23, 2023 05:38 am

At A Glance

  • Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla said he would validate with law enforcement agencies the alleged figures that showed "drug-related deaths" went up during the first year of the Marcos administration. 

Remulla: Liars in ABS-CBN hearings should be slapped with contemptDepartment of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla

Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla said he would validate with law enforcement agencies the alleged figures that showed "drug-related killings" went up during the first year of the Marcos administration.

Remulla challenged the veracity of these figures when ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro brought them up Wednesday, Aug. 23 during the House Committee on Appropriations' deliberation on DOJ's 2024 budget.

"As of our data gathering, as of (June 30, 2023, there are 342 drug-related killings, or that is 0.9 killings per day. The number is higher compared to the last [year] of President Duterte, 302 drug killings a day or 0.8 a day," Castro said during her interpellation.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s Palace term began on June 30, 2022. Former president Rodrigo Duterte, known for his aggressive war on illegal drugs, is his direct predecessor.

When Castro asked Remulla for an update on the inquest on the killings, the latter said: "Ang ganyang problema kasi po, hindi ho naman alam kung saan nangangailangan ang data na ating pong pinag-uusapan (The problem with that is, we don't know the source of the data that we're talking about)."

"Ngunit, maliwanag po na yung mga pangyayari po na sasabihin nating drug-related ay hindi po natin masasabi kung ito po ay totoo o hindi (But what's clear is that we can't say for certain whether or not a case is drug-related)," the DOJ chief said.

He added that the particular figures seemed to have political color.

"Yung data na po yan ay galing sa PNP (That data came from the Philippine National Police)," Castro told Remulla, himself a former House member.

"Basta yung data po na yan ay gusto po naming malaman at makita, at ito po ay aming iva-validate kung totoo po yan. Pwede ho naming tanungin siguro sa NBI at tsaka sa pulis kung ano ang basehan ng lahat ng data na ito," replied the latter.

(We want to see that data so that we can validate if it's true. We can ask the National Bureau of Investigation and police as to what their basis was for this data.)

Remulla likewise promised to update Castro on the inquest details she requested.

A staff of Castro later told this reporter that the figures the congresswoman mentioned in the hearing were sourced from the University of the Philippines Third World Studies Center (UP TWSC) report.

Related Tags

Department of Justice Jesus Crispin boying remulla ACT Teachers party list FRANCE CASTRO
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