AFP PHOTO
Just do it.
This was the challenge posed by opposition lawmakers following Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez鈥檚 vow for the House of Representatives to investigate the killings of teenagers in the administration鈥檚 war on drugs.
鈥淛ust do it. I think it is long overdue for the House to act on several resolutions on extrajudicial killings, including two I co-sponsored,鈥� Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin said.
Villarin said the killings of Kian delos Santos, Carl Arnaiz, and Reynaldo de Guzman 鈥渟how that the anti-drug war has gone haywire with the police as primary suspects.鈥�
搁贰础顿:听Cabbie says killing of Carl Angelo Arnaiz was 鈥榮cripted鈥櫬�
鈥淚t has gone overboard as a culture of violence is foisted as a national policy by no less than President Duterte himself,鈥� Villarin said.
He made the statement after Speaker Alvarez, in an interview with CNN Philippines鈥� 鈥淭he Source,鈥� said the lower House should look into the killings of teenagers, which he blamed on drug lords who want to undermine the administration鈥檚 war on drugs.
搁贰础顿:听Alvarez sees drug lords鈥� hand in teenagers鈥� killings
Delos Santos and Arnaiz became the faces of police abuses after being killed in alleged shootout with police, when autopsy results showed they were tortured and intentionally killed.
Meanwhile, De Guzman, Arnaiz鈥檚 companion who was accused of robbing a taxi driver and reported missing for days, was found dead last week in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, his body dumped into the river.
搁贰础顿:听PAO dismisses PNP findings on De Guzman鈥檚 DNA聽
For his part, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano chided Alvarez for seemingly hiding under a rock for pushing for a House probe on summary killings a year into the administration鈥檚 war on drugs.
鈥淪a鈥檔 ba nanggaling si Speaker for the past one year? Hindi ba siya aware na libu-libo na ang namatay sa war on drugs? Marami na ring ang napaslang na mga kabataan. Marami din ang gustong magtestigo na mga pamilya ng mga biktima,鈥� Alejano said.
Alejano said the House investigation should not be limited to the teenagers鈥� slay, but should include all the thousands of victims of the brutal war on drugs.
鈥淣gayon, gusto nang imbestigahan ang kaso ni Kian delos Santos ngunit pinapahiwatig na kaagad na ito ay kagagawan ng drug lords o politicians para sabotahiin ang war on drugs ng administrasyon,鈥� Alejano said.
鈥淗indi lang dapat buksan ang imbestigasyon para lang kay Kian kung hindi sa lahat ng biktima ng extrajudicial killings,鈥� he added.
搁贰础顿:听Why can鈥檛 the House prioritize probe into drug killings? 鈥� opposition solons聽
In a separate statement, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate welcomed Speaker鈥檚 word to start a probe on the summary killings, but belied that the killings were perpetrated by drug lords to undermine the war on drugs.
鈥淚s the government鈥檚 bloody war on drugs being sabotaged? These summary executions, including those of minors, are the result of the government鈥檚 tacit approval of these killings; this state of impunity, waged for the sake and in the name of Duterte鈥檚 war on drugs, must be stopped,鈥� Zarate said.
搁贰础顿:听Lawmaker calls out聽House聽for 鈥榠naction鈥� on drug war聽killings