Press Release | 6 April 2018
We welcome and support the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) ordering the Philippine National Police (PNP) to submit data on the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs. It is a step forward in ensuring that the rule of law still prevails in our country. But, equally important, is on how the decision brings us closer to knowing the truth and pursuing justice for the victims and their families.
On different occasions, the Commission has requested the PNP to share and open their case folders to us—including police blotters, spot reports, investigation documents, forensic records, inventory reports, and affidavits among others—all in the interest of upholding the rights of every Filipino.
We look forward to the police force’s cooperation without condition on this matter. We believe that their swift action would allow the wheels of justice to turn faster given the clamour for transparency and accountability for alleged human rights violations linked to the government’s anti-drug campaign. In the spirit of due process and the rule of law, these cases need to be tried in proper courts and should not remain as mere files stacked in shelves to dust.
We are hopeful that the SC decision will help the Commission in its independent probe of alleged cases of extrajudicial killings through information and data sharing with PNP. If we can sustain development such as this, as well as expediently demonstrate that our national judicial systems are functioning as they should, it will be a concrete manifestation that the State is willing and able to genuinely carry out investigation or prosecution—dispensing the need for international bodies to step in. ■