CHR exec says killings not ‘state-sponsored’

MANILA – Despite expressing that the spate of extrajudicial killings (EJK) under the current administration is not “state- sponsored”, the Commission on Human Rights ( CHR) on Wednesday said that President Rodrigo Duterte is not yet absolved from culpability.

In a press statement, the CHR said that it is still premature to say whether state officials have a hand in the prevalence of killings, under the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

“It is still premature to draw conclusion that either exonerates or condemns any state official and the institution they represent, as well as private individuals or groups, regarding responsibility for the killings,” the CHR said.

“Our work at the CHR in investigating EJK cases nationwide continues, with

impartiality and truth as our guiding lights and at a more opportune time, we shall come out with a more comprehensive and complete report on the EJK cases,” it added.

C HR commissioner Gwendolyn Pimentel-Gana on Monday said that, in its initial

findings, there is no evidence that pins Duterte as the one behind the flood of EJK killings in the country.

“We never said that it was state sponsored at all. There was is no such findings that we can conclude that way,” said Pimentel- Gana, the sister of

Duterte ally Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel.

“But what we can say is that the killings are still continuing in apparent vigilante manner and they are unknown assailants,” added Pimentel- Gana. “We will come up with a complete report soon.”/