Cebu killing surge: Police open to probe

CEBU CITY–The Central Visayas Police welcomed the call of the opposition senators to launch investigation into the surge of killings in Metro Cebu following an intensified antidrug operation.

“We are ready to face any investigation. We welcome the call for an investigation so that we can also explain our side,” said Supt. Reyman Tolentin, Central Visayas police information officer.

In a press statement issued by the camp of detained Senator Leila de Lima, senators belonging to the minority bloc filed Senate Resolution 915 demanding an immediate probe of the wave of killings during police sweeps.

The Senate minority bloc is headed by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Francis Pangilinan, president of the opposition Liberal Party (LP).

In the resolution, the opposition senators expressed deep concern about the wave of killings in Cebu in which police officers were involved.

"The allegation that police officers themselves are behind some of the killings is highly disturbing," they said.

The minority bloc also quoted Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña who has said the killings in Metro Cebu started to rise after the appointments of Cebu City Police chief Royina Garma and Central Visayas police chief Debold Sinas.

In the three massive sweeps launched by the regional police, 19 suspected drug personalities died. In the third operation alone, at least 10 suspected drug offenders died and 76 were arrested.

Tolentin said the police is ready to defend itself before a Senate inquiry. “We are just doing our job. There have been casualties but they were legitimate police operations,” he said.

Tolentin has said those who were killed were suspected drug personalities who resisted arrest.

“The recurring narrative of ‘nanlaban’ – or suspects having resisted arrest – has been serving as a wrongful justification for fatalities during the conduct of police operations to curtail proliferation of illegal drugs,” the opposition senators said.

In October 2017, the Senate minority bloc, along with 10 other senators, filed Senate Resolution 516 urging the Duterte administration to stop the “senseless” killings, especially of youths.

The resolution was triggered by the outcry over the deaths of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos, 14-year-old Reynaldo de Guzman, and 19year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz during police operations, Earlier, 45 United Nations member states called on the Philippine government to conduct a "thorough" investigation into extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the country.

Human rights advocates and other international bodies– including the Human Rights Watch, the Interparliamentary Union, and Liberal International–have also criticized the Duterte administration for its relentless drug war that resulted in the death of thousands of individuals.