Pubdate: Wed, 27 Jul 2016
Source: Philippine Star (Philippines)
Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2016
Contact:  http://www.philstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622
Author: Paolo Romero

SENATE TO PROBE DRUG KILLINGS

The Senate is set to investigate the rising incidence of 
extrajudicial killings of alleged drug pushers even as President 
Duterte has vowed there will be no letup in his anti-drug campaign.

The inquiry will be spearheaded by the Senate committee on justice 
and human rights, chaired by Sen. Leila de Lima, along with Sen. 
Panfilo Lacson as chairman of the committee on public order and 
dangerous drugs.

De Lima earlier filed Resolution No. 9 seeking an investigation into 
"recent rampant extrajudicial killings and summary executions of 
suspected criminals to strengthen the mechanisms of accountability of 
law enforcers and to institute corrective legislative measures to 
ensure full respect of basic human rights, especially the right to life."

The previous days saw a tussle between De Lima and other senators, 
including Lacson, who thought the inquiry was premature as the 
Philippine National Police was also conducting its own probe on the issue.

The resolution, however, was referred to the two panels during 
yesterday's session.

Initially, the resolution was referred to Lacson's committee as the 
lead panel but De Lima had made representations before the Senate 
committee on rules chaired by Sen. Vicente Sotto III.

"That's no problem," Lacson was overheard telling De Lima on the floor.

"If we can't justify a good legislation that will come out of an 
investigation, our impression is that we just want to create a 
spectacle," Lacson told reporters last week on De Lima's push for a probe.

De Lima, for her part, complained of the vicious attacks against her 
in social media, and even in the House of Representatives where some 
lawmakers said they want to conduct an inquiry on the proliferation 
of illegal drugs that allegedly occurred during her watch as justice secretary.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom