The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) remain in conflict over the official definition of ‘extrajudicial killings’ (EJK), and the number of cases under it.
CHR Spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia, in an interview with GMA News on Tuesday, Oct. 10, slammed the Philippine National Police’s claim that there has been no cases of EJK recorded since the beginning of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term.
“Kung susuriin natin lahat ng mga nangyari, lalong-lalo na ‘yung mga insidente kaugnay sa kampanya laban sa droga, nakita natin libo-libo ang mga namatay kaugnay nito,” De Guia said.
The CHR, De Guia said, follows the definition set by the international human rights, which says that EJK “is any killing by government forces outside the process of the law”.
The PNP, on the other hand, said it follows the definition under the administrative order (AO) 35, which states that EJKs are killings where “the victim was a member of, or affiliated with an organization, to include political, environmental, agrarian, labor, or similar causes; or an advocate of above-named causes; or a media practitioner or person(s) apparently mistaken or identified to be so”.
In a media interview, Oct 9., Human Rights Watch Geneva Director John Fisher said the Philippines should follow the international definition as it is a signatory to various human rights treaties.
The definition is not complicated, Fisher said. “It is very, very clear that when somebody is killed and in the context of police operations, there is no judicial process, no legal process, there aren’t arrests or charges. It is just a killing that’s taking place outside of the legal process.”
However, the PNP stands by the AO 35 definition as the order has not been replaced or revoked since it was adopted and signed by then President Benigno Aquino III on April 2013.
“Mahirap naman doon, itong mga kritiko natin sa panahon nila, sila gumawa ng definition ng EJK na yan. Ngayong na hindi na sila sa power, [at] iba na yung nakaupo ngayon, gusto nila baguhin ‘yung meaning ng EJK,” GMA News quoted Dela Rosa.
Source: GMA News, Rappler
Photo credit: Inquirer.net
