Contact Details

Rm. N-411, House of Representatives, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
+63 2 931 5497, +63 2 931 5001 local 7370

Create Independent Fact-Finding Commission to Investigate EJKs

Press Statements

I again urge President Rodrigo Duterte to create immediately an independent fact-finding commission to thoroughly and impartially investigate the escalating summary killings related to the administration’s campaign against the drug menace.

The commission should be composed of retired justices of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals of proven probity.

Police authorities cannot be entrusted with the investigation because police officers and personnel are involved, while the leadership of the Department of Justice is a partisan ally of the President.

Moreover, the inquiry must not be left to politicians whose motives could be suspect despite their avowal of impartiality.

The commission must be authorized to perform the following:

  1. Conduct an investigation on the causes, motives and rewards for the extrajudicial killings.

  2. Find out the total number of victims of summary killings both by the police authorities and vigilante groups since the start of the anti-drug campaign in 2016.

  3. Determine the collusion between the police authorities and vigilantes.

  4. Inquire on how many of the victims belong to the poor, vulnerable and marginalized sectors.

  5. Establish how many of the killings are subject to current investigations by the police authorities and other government agencies.

  6. Recommend the prosecution of errant police officers and personnel and private parties.

  7. Recommend viable policies and alternatives to solve the drug problem as poverty and health issues other than a mere police matter.

There are a number of precedents where fact-finding commissions were created to investigate events of transcendental importance like the Agrava Commission, Feliciano Commission and Melo Commission.

The Agrava Commission was created by the late President Marcos to investigate the assassination of Sen. Benigno Aguino on 21 August 1983 despite allegations that Marcos masterminded the assassination.

The Feliciano Commission was created by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to conduct an investigation on the Oakwood mutiny on 21 July 2003 which raised grievances against her administration and the Melo Commission was formed also by President Arroyo on 21 August 2006 to inquire on the human rights violations and extrajudicial killings during her incumbency.

 

EDCEL C. LAGMAN