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Friday, March 29, 2024

Deaths in other areas face probe

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The Department of Justice-led panel reviewing the drug war operations of the government will also investigate the deaths arising from narcotics operations in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra made the disclosure even as he admitted that the DOJ-led inter-agency panel reviewing the deaths as a result of the campaign against illegal drugs made a “not so flattering” findings in its initial report.

The initial report, which covered incidents in Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and some cities, had been forwarded to the Office of the President and the Philippine National Police.

“We provided a copy of the report where we made certain findings, not so flattering against certain police enforcement officers involved in drug operations and we gave the PNP sufficient time to comment on these findings,” he told reporters.

“But be assured that this report, at least the findings and the highlights of this report, will be made public at the proper time.”

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Guevarra also announced that the panel will also inquire into the deaths from the drug war operations in the Visayas and Mindanao.

“We do not want to make it appear na iyong findings namin in certain pilot areas like Region III, Region IV and certain major cities ay truly representative of what is happening throughout the country,” he said.

“We will also include iyong mga actions that we intend to take arising from these findings. So hinihintay lang namin iyong tamang time para i-share but there is no intent to hide. You know the issue of transparency is very important to us,” he added.

The DOJ led a panel of several government agencies, including law enforcement units, in reviewing 5,655 anti-drug operations that resulted in deaths to determine whether lapses were committed by police officers during the anti-drugs operations.

The review panel was created after the United Nations human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, released a report finding “near impunity” for alleged extrajudicial killings committed in the Philippines.

Last week, UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard suggested that the Philippines’ review of deadly anti-narcotics operations should also cover people who allegedly incited the killing.

Guevarra said that the special rapporteur’s premise assumed that the killings were being encouraged, which he said was something “that is yet to be clearly established in each case.”

“Nevertheless, the review panel will consider all relevant issues in the pursuit of its objective of exacting accountability,” he said.

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