Reaction to Inquirer editorial on EJK

We wish to refer to the Aug. 22, 2017, editorial of the Inquirer titled “Damage control?” particularly the paragraph that states “…Which leads one to remember the last Senate hearings related to the government’s so-called war on drugs… and the chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, Sen. Richard Gordon, concluding with a straight face that no extrajudicial killings were happening in the country.”

For the benefit of your readers, we wish to strongly correct this statement and demand an apology/clarification. To set the record straight, Senator Gordon, as chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, never concluded that no extrajudicial killings were happening in the country. In fact, committee on justice and human rights report No. 18 filed on Dec. 7, 2016, and signed by 11 senators states:

“There is no proof that there is State-sponsored policy to commit killings to eradicate illegal drugs in the country. However, the Committee took note of the many thousands of killings with impunity taking place every year in the last two (2) decades at least.

“Many killings with impunity through the years up to the present have not been resolved by the police, leaving our people feeling unprotected, insecure, fearful, and cynical about the ability of the police to protect and serve them.

“There is an urgent need to undertake reforms in law enforcement and strengthen the criminal justice system to fortify the rule of law.”

At this point, we wish to draw your attention to the following definitions to ensure clarity:

1. Extrajudicial killings — That which is done, given, or effected outside the course of regular judicial proceedings.

2. State-sponsored killings — there must be a written policy allowing deliberate killing not authorized by a previous judgment pronounced by a court.

For your reference, since the issuance of the report in December, Senator Gordon has proposed, sponsored and shall pass/

passed the following legislative measures based on the findings of the committee:

1. Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act of 2017, SB No. 1397 — Make motorcycle plates bigger to take a bite out of crime to discourage riding-tandem killings since witnesses and CCTV cameras can easily read the plate numbers and report them to the

proper authorities.

2. Police Court Act of 2017, SB No. 1399 — An act establishing the police law enforcement courts, granting these exclusive original jurisdiction over violations of constitutional rights and Philippine National Police rules of engagement committed by the police.

3. Strengthening the IAS and PLEBS Act of 2017, SB No. 1374 — An act amending Republic Act No. 8551, otherwise known as the “Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998” and RA 6975, otherwise known as “The Department of Interior and Local Government Act of 1990,” and for other purposes. This enables the Internal Affairs Service to act swiftly on investigations of police personnel and strengthens the disciplinary mechanisms such as the People’s Law Enforcement Boards.

4. Establishing Special Police Courts, SB 1399 — An act establishing the police law enforcement courts, granting these exclusive original jurisdiction over violations of constitutional rights and PNP rules of engagement committed by the police, amending Batas Pambansa Bilang 129, as amended, otherwise known as the “Judiciary Act of 1980,” appropriating funds therefore and for other purposes.

5. Mandatory Law Enforcement Video Recording Act of 2017 — This requires all police officers on duty to wear body cameras and police vehicles to carry cameras on their dashboards.

Other pending legislation based on the committee findings that are being deliberated upon by the other committee members are:

1. Creation of joint congressional oversight committees to monitor killings and paramilitary units.

2. Laws requiring vehicular body numbering and color-coded public transportation.

3. Requiring the LTO to have complete and accurate records of all motor vehicles in an accessible database for use by the public.

4. TV and radio stations to donate 30 hours/month per station to report killings and crimes to inform and educate the public about the criminal justice system.

RUY Y. MORENO, chief of staff, Office of Sen. Richard J. Gordon