The Commission on Human Rights welcomes the filing of charges to some of the government officials implicated in the illegal drug trade. By trying allegations through a fair trial, we can assure that the Constitutional guarantee of due process and equal protection of laws can be served to the accused. However, until a judgment by a competent court or authority is final, then can we only determine innocence or guilt and subsequently make them accountable before our laws for the violations.

As such, we urge the government to do the same for the rest of the names in the narco-list that remains to be unverified. Presumption of innocence and due process, we stress, are foundational principles of the judicial system. Through this, we strike a balance between making crimes punished because of the ill effects of illegal drugs and preserving the rights of all.