PNP stands by statement there are no extrajudicial killings under Duterte administration

October 9, 2017

Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General  Ronald Dela Rosa said Monday they stand by their initial statement that there is no extra judicialkilling (EJK) under President Rodrigo Duterte  after receiving backlash from various critics of the war on drugs campaign of the police.

"This EJK, our spokesman (Chief Superintendent Dionardo Carlos) said that there is no EJK. That is true if we will base it in the definition of EJK", Dela Rosa said  in a press conference during the 20th Armed Forces of the Philippines and PNP National Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council.

Carlos said in a viber message last Friday, there is only one case of extrajudicial killing under the Duterte administration.

He said journalist Larry Que who was shot  dead on December 19, 2016 after publishing a column in a local newspaper criticizing local officials about supposed negligence which allowed a shabu laboratory in Catanduanes to be set up.

Dela Rosa said their statement is not propaganda following the statement of Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon that the PNP are lying and fooling the public after they said that there are no EJK.

"They said it is the propaganda of the PNP to say that there is no EJK. We are not propagandizing. If I gave the question back to them, the levelling of the killings as EJK isn't that a propaganda? That is a propaganda to destroy the government ", he said.

Drilon pointed out in a statement that the death of 17 year old Kian delos Santos and 19 year old Carl Arnaiz, both allegedly shot in two different police operations are "clear cases of extra-judicial killings".

Alfegar Triambulo, Inspector General of the PNP Internal Affairs, said in an ambush interview after the press conference the case of Delos Santos cannot be considered as EJK but plain homicide or murder if not justified by the police officers involved.

"That is plain homicide or murder. That is why we will file a case against the police but if they can justify--because killing if you can justify-- is not a crime  that is why we will investigate", he said.

Triambulo said the cases of killings being categorized as EJK fall under homicide under investigation.

"There are really no EJK because when you say EJK you are accusing the government which is not the case. Based on the result of the investigation of the NCRPO (National Capital Region Police Office) it's not the government who did that so that is not extrajudicial because they have no power to do the extra judicial (killing)", said Triambulo,

"That is what we called ( it) homicide under investigation. We don't call it EJK", he said.

Dela Rosa said the killings that involved police are not qualified as EJK according to the definition that was made by the administration of former president Benigno Aquino III.

"We will not level those as EJK because per administrative order No 35)  that was made by the previous administration that does not qualify as EJK. The victims of EJK should be a member of a consolidated groups or media", he said.

The police will "stick" to the definition made by the Aquino government, he said. Alanna Ambi/DMS