CHR: Pardon for killers ‘premature’

But Commission on Human Rights Chairman Chito Gascon said Duterte’s pronouncement that he will pardon and promote the police officers involved in the killing of Espinosa is premature.

Gascon said Duterte and the administration should instead focus on holding perpetrators in the killing accountable for their actions.

“Although the powers to grant executive clemency – that includes pardon – are clearly vested on the President, there are established rules and procedures to exercise the same. Pardon can only be granted after final conviction, thus what President Duterte is contemplating is at best premature,” Gascon told The STAR.

“At this time, what must be pursued are mechanisms that will hold all perpetrators to account for their crimes, particularly those involving extrajudicial killings. We must end impunity,” he added.

Gascon also noted that the continuing public exoneration by Duterte of the police officers involved in killings encourages and contributes to the perpetra- tion of a climate of impunity in the country.

“Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch – that are both credible independent international human rights groups – have found that the extrajudicial killings are encouraged or tolerated by state authorities,” he warned.

Olupan na Laiko ed Arkdiosis na Lingayen-Dagupan also expressed disgust on the growing culture of summary killings in the country and the decision of Congress to reimpose the death penalty under the Duterte administration.

“We are outraged, deeply hurt and utterly dismayed by the decision of the five congressmen from the province of Pangasinan to vote for the ratification of the death penalty bill,” the laity said in statement yesterday. –