Pubdate: Sun, 07 Aug 2016
Source: Philippine Star (Philippines)
Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2016
Contact:  http://www.philstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622
Author: Eva Visperas

WAR VS ILLEGAL DRUGS GETTING OUT OF HAND - DE LIMA

DAGUPAN CITY  The anti-illegal drug campaign of President Duterte is 
getting out of hand, and the public should not simply turn a blind 
eye to the killings.

Sen. Leila de Lima acknowledged the gravity of the drug problem in 
the country, but stressed the measures against it should respect the 
rule of law.

"We cannot simply believe that all those who were shot dead grabbed 
the guns of arresting police operatives or they fought in an armed 
encounter with lawmen," De Lima said during a testimonial dinner for 
the successful 2015 Bar examiners of the University of Pangasinan on Friday.

"It is not worth it when you fight drugs and criminality as a whole, 
and we see criminality rate decreasing, but that is not the entire 
picture. Yes, based on police report robbery, theft, etc. are 
decreasing but how about the killings?" De Lima remarked.

"This is murder, this is homicide that is included in the 
statistics," she added.

De Lima has initiated a congressional investigation into the 
killings. She is hoping to get the support of the senators in the probe.

While some may not be very vocal now about their opinion on the 
killings, De Lima is positive that most, if not all, of them are 
going to support the Senate inquiry into the killings.

"At first there were some who expressed reservations, like Sen. 
Panfilo Lacson, who later agreed this inquiry must be pursued," De Lima said.

"We want to know what really happened, how many have been killed, 
particularly drugs, because we get different figures," she said.

Lacson has also expressed concern over the killings.

Lacson revealed his informants have told him that there were 600 such 
incidents last month alone.

De Lima also noted criticisms that her initiative to conduct a Senate 
investigation into the killings was just for show.

"Maybe you can just call me controversial, not popular," she said.

De Lima stressed she is not being an obstructionist to Duterte's 
plans and programs.

"I support all these so they can't say I'm an obstructionist," she said.

However, De Lima declared she does not support summary killings, the 
restoration of the death penalty and lowering of age of criminal 
responsibility.

Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza agreed that Duterte's anti- 
illegal drugs campaign should respect the rule of law and sanctity of 
human life.

"We support President Duterte's no-nonsense campaign against illegal 
drugs, but the rule of law must still prevail and everyone must 
adhere to it," Atienza said.

"As lawmakers, it is our duty to speak up and denounce this murderous 
rampage. The country cannot hope to attain progress and development 
if no one adheres to the rule of law. What we are seeing now is a 
culture of death. Violence only breeds more violence," he said.

Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines ( CBCP) president 
LingayenDagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas warned the country is 
becoming a "killing fields" in the war against illegal drugs.

Villegas expressed concern over the spate of summary executions of 
suspected drug offenders and criminals.

"I am a human being. That is all it takes for me to stand up and say 
enough," he said.

"Have we become so few who are still disturbed by the killings? Is 
not humanity going down to the dregs when bloodthirsty humans 
encourage the killers and ask for more blood? When tears are replaced 
by wide smiles each time a human is killed, I shake my head and ask ' 
What has happened to humanity?'... In our dream to wipe out drug 
addiction are we not becoming a ' killing fields' nation?" he added.

- - Jess Diaz, Evelyn Macairan, Robertzon Ramirez
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom