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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Pimentel wants lawyers to go over Duterte's confessions on killings, death squad

Pimentel wants lawyers to go over Duterte's confessions on killings, death squad

Published Oct 29, 2024 07:03 am

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said he wants lawyers in and out of the government to analyze the admissions made by former President Rodrigo Duterte in the Senate's drug war probe.

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Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his opening statement during the start of the Senate Blue ribbon commitee hearing on war on drugs, at the Session Hall of the Senate, October 28, 2024. (Mark Balmores)

"Kumilos na lahat ng interesado sa issue. Ang Senate committees ay venue or avenue lamang para kumuha ng other form of evidence (All interested parties must make a move on the issue. The senate committees merely serve as a venue or avenue for gathering other forms of evidence)," Pimentel said in a text message to reporters on Tuesday, Oct. 29.

He added that Duterte's words will have to be analyzed by lawyer-experts in criminal law as to their overall value as evidence.

During the hearing, Duterte called those on his right who were police directors as "death squad commanders".

He added that it's because they were police directors in charge of controlling crimes in the city.

Duterte even specifically referred to Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, stating "death squad din yan (he's also death squad)."

He eventually admitted that he had a death squad, not composed of policemen, but gangsters.

Duterte also said that he's wondering why the justice department has not filed a case against him yet despite "matagal na kong pumapatay ng tao (killing people for a long time)."

Meanwhile, Pimentel stated that the Philippine National Police (PNP) should treat the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) as a friend and ally in relation to its investigation into extrajudicial killings (EJKs).

This was after CHR Chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc disclosed PNP's continued refusal to cooperate with the agency due to Executive Order (EO) No. 2 that was implemented during the time of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

"Naging problema ho kasi ng komisyon dito, ay yung mga kapulisan they refuse cooperation with CHR. Ayaw ho nilang bigyan ng dokumento ang komisyon (The problem that the commission encountered here is that the police refuse to cooperate with the CHR. They refuse to give documents to the commission)," he said during the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee probe on the drug war.

"At dahil ho dito naging problema ng komisyon ang pag-conduct ng investigation, hindi ho namin matapos (Because of this, the commission has encountered a problem in conducting an investigation; we cannot finish it)," he added.

He said that this situation should be remedied and that the PNP should treat the CHR as a friend and ally.

Related Tags

Senate blue ribbon committee Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III Rodrigo Duterte
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