Amnesty International says Dela Rosa should inhibit if Senate probes killings

July 8, 2019

Amnesty International on Monday dared the Senate to investigate once more  reported extrajudicial killings in the country and told newly-elected Senator Ronald Dela Rosa to inhibit.

On their second report on the government's war on drugs, the human rights watchdog did not give any recommendations to the Senate.

"One of the features of our recommendation is we don't have recommendation to the Senate... because nothing happens in the Senate and given the current composition we don't know if something will happen," said  Butch Olano, section director of  Amnesty International Philippines in a press briefing.

"But still, we dare, we ask, we request the Senate to open the investigation again," he added.

Olano said it will be hard to conduct an investigation now that the former Philippine National Police chief who started the war on illegal drugs is a senator.

"I don't know if he will agree to investigate what he started," he said.

If there will be an investigation, Amnesty International said Dela Rosa should inhibit.

"Out of decency, he should inhibit himself if there is such investigation," said Olano.

Last week, Dela Rosa called incidents of "collateral damage" during their police operation as "shit happens".

Amnesty International said this term is technically incorrect as collateral damage should not be used in these kind of incidents.

Dela Rosa apologized for his remark. Ella Dionisio/DMS