Bato wails anew at Senate

MANILA - Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald Dela Rosa broke down once again at the Senate following the allegation of Senator Risa Hontiveros that there might be "a policy of massive killings" within his agency "for the sake of the administration's war on drugs."

"The killing of the minors and young people are no longer isolated incidents... May polisiya na nag didikta sa kultura ng patayan na nangyayari ngayon sa ating bayan. There is a system in the killings, there is method in the madness," Hontiveros said.

(The killing of the minors and young people are no longer isolated incidents... There is a policy on the culture of killings in the country). There is a system in the killings, there is method in the madness)

The Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs is currently

In their tribal house at the cultural village, they displayed their Bangkaw of spear, a weapon used by their ancestors to defend the tribe.

Outside the house is the Bangkakaw, a round timber hung on a wooden frame that is thumped with poles by a group of women and a couple of men, and sometimes by a child who runs around the group of men and women, hitting the log with wooden sticks like a drum, producing a rhythm with a higher tone against the bass of thumps by the adults' poles.

The Ata tribe in Paquibato alone numbers 30,962, but there are more in Davao del Norte such as in Talaingod and Kapalong.

Relationship with the City Government JCR (For full story visit www.sunstar.com. ph/davao/) investigating the drug war deaths of Kian Delos Santos, 17; and Carl Angelo Arnaiz, 19, in the hands of Caloocan City police officers.

Dela Rosa, however, denied that such policy is in effect in the PNP.

"I am grieving for the majority of my men na nakataya ang buhay nila tapos i-accuse n'yo kami ng polisya na ganun. Masakit. Masakit, your honor," he said in response to Hontiveros' allegations.