Chiz seeks senate probe into AI allegations

By Office of Senator Escudero
February 2, 2017

PASAY CITY – Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero wants the Senate to look into the report released by Amnesty International (AI) alleging that Philippine National Police (PNP) officers have paid individuals to kill thousands of drug offenders in the country.

Escudero told a press conference on Thursday that he would file a resolution next week for the Senate to investigate into what he described as serious allegations by the international human rights watchdog.

In the report, Amnesty International claimed that the police had “systematically targeted mostly poor and defenseless people across the country while planting ‘evidence’ recruiting paid killers, stealing from the people they kill and fabricating official incident reports.”

“Ito’y seryosong alegasyon na galing pa sa isang international body na marapat at dapat alamin, hindi lamang nating lahat, pero pati na rin makita kung may basehan nga ba o wala kaya dumudungis ito sa imahe ng bansa sa daigdig,” Escudero said.

The veteran lawmaker said he also wanted Amnesty International to explain their findings and present their sources at the legislative inquiry.

According to Escudero, who once chaired the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, he was alarmed by the claim that hired killers were being engaged by the police force to help in the war against drugs of the government.

The Senate investigation, he added, will give the PNP a chance to convey their side of the story.

“Yung basehan ng AI sa kanilang report nais naming ipaliwanag nila, at pangalawa yung mga pulis na na-mention, at kung sinumang nais maglabas ng ebidensiya kaugnay nito. Dalawa ang pakay naming dito: Una, mapatunayan kung totoo nga ba yung alegasyon ng AI, at pangalawa, mabigyan din naman ng pagkakataon ang PNP na harapin ang AI, magpaliwanag sa harap ng publiko at ibigay ang panig nila sa publiko at sa AI,” the senator said.

Furthermore, Escudero assured procedural safeguards for sources of AI and all the other witnesses who will be invited to the Senate probe.