MANILA, Philippines ? Two opposition senators on Monday condemned the death of a 17-year-old boy in a police operation last week in separate privilege speeches, calling for an end to the brutal anti-drugs campaign and placing responsibility for the killing at Malacañang's doorstep. The speeches of senators Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and Risa Hontiveros differed starkly in tone and cadence, but they basically had the same message: the need for President Rodrigo Duterte 's administration to stop his bloody drug war, search for better solutions to the country's alleged narcotics problem and make abusive security forces and government officials accountable. Hontiveros said that Duterte's hands are stained with the blood of Kian Loyd Delos Santos and of the 12,000 others killed in the conduct of his flagship security program. READ: Duterte to jail cops involved in Kian's slay if found guilty "The President's hands are stained by the blood of Kian, and the blood of the 12,000 murdered in the name of his bloody war on drugs," she said. "He inspired this culture of impunity and killing. He reveled in the deaths of drug addicts, while at the same time turning a blind eye on the big drug lords close to him and his family." Both Hontiveros and Aquino had called on a stop to the anti-drug operations in the country, the last series of which resulted in one of the bloodiest weeks in Duterte's more than a year in office. "Mr. President, we need to put an end to these killings. We need to hold persons in positions of power and authority accountable to the Filipino people," Aquino said. READ: 'Maganda 'yun': President praises bloody Bulacan raids Aquino's speech, which included the words of the family and friends of Delos Santos, the senior high school student allegedly gunned down by Caloocan cops in a dark alley in the city, sought to paint a picture of a loving son and grandson and a thoughtful friend. This is in contrast to how the police and online supporters of the drug war describe the slain boy, whom they claim is a drug runner and pusher. "'Kilala si Ian na nagbebenta ? nagbebenta ng school supplies sa mga dumadaan sa aming tindahan, hindi droga,' giit po ng kaniyang ama," Aquino said on the Senate floor. "Ang sigaw niya po sa kabila ng kahirapan sa buhay, "Laban lang! Ngunit, Mr. President, hindi siya nanlaban. Hindi po sya nanlaban. Hindi po sya nanlaban, Mr. President," Aquino added. He said that had the police known Delos Santos as his family and friends had known him he would still be alive today. "Kung 'yon po sana ang nakilala nila at hindi isang ang sinasabi ho nilang drug addict o drug courier na sa tingin po ng iba ay hindi naman tao at walang karapatang mabuhay, siguro po buhay pa si Ian ngayon ? nangangarap at nagsisikap, nagpapasaya at tumutulong sa kanyang mga kaibigan at kapamilya," Aquino said. Education, better justice system needed There are better solutions to the country's drug problem, Aquino said, such as education, a stronger justice system, rehabilitation, quality police force, proper and legal enforcement procedures and anti-poverty measures. Thirty-two people were killed in simultaneous drug operations in areas across Bulacan last week. This was followed by another round of anti-drug raids in Manila, resulting in the death of 25 people. Then another 18 alleged drug suspects died in separate operations in Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela Thursday and Friday. The president's assurance that the officers behind the killing of Delos Santos would be jailed was not sufficient, Hontiveros said. "In the same breath, he said that he cannot put so many pressures on the police and he cannot condemn them without validation. Naalala ko ang pamagat ng paborito kong pelikula ni Lino Brocka, 'tinimbang ka ngunit kulang,'" she said in her remarks. Hontiveros has been a target of derisive social media posts by Presidential Communications Operations Office Assistant Secretary Margaux Uson, a popular social media practitioner. She has called Hontiveros an "epalitiko" and has accused the senator of taking advantage of Delos Santos' death for political gain. Uson, who claims her views do not represent those of the PCOO, has been tapped to head the agency's Social Media Office and will handle the accreditation of bloggers and social media practitioners who will cover the president. Reinstatement of 'abusive' police officers Hontiveros said that Duterte's words had "inspired, abetted and condoned" the drug-related killings in the country. Just a day after the bloody drug operation in different locations in Bulacan, the president praised them and told cops the they should have more similar results. The president could not be trusted to provide an impartial probe into the death of Delos Santos as he had in the past reinstated policemen found to have committed abuses such as Superintendent Marvin Marcos and his men. READ: CIDG's Marcos returns to duty in Region 12 She said: "Paano natin mahahanapan ng 'good faith' ang kanyang pananalita, kung noong Disyembre 2016 lang, sinabi ng presidente na 'o pag walang baril, bigyan ng baril.' Kung tama ang mga testigo, ganyan na ganyan ang ginawa kay Kian." She said that those who continue to support the drug war should reflect on their roles in the reported deaths. "You felt stirred into action because you could no longer ignore the growing outrage from a country you had thought had grown callous to death," she told Senate colleagues. The senator said that the country should ensure that Delos Santos would be the last or one of the last victims of the drug-related killings. "Maari pa natin pigilan ang mga susunod na Kian. O ang mga susunod na Danica Garcia, Angel Fernandez, Rowena Tiamson. Para sa kanilang sinabing nanlaban, manlaban tayo. For them, we must keep on fighting," declared Hontiveros. READ: Senate majority condemns Kian's slay, calls for probe
08-26-2017, 10:41 PM
Minority senators call for end to killings, accountability for police abuse
MANILA, Philippines ? Two opposition senators on Monday condemned the death of a 17-year-old boy in a police operation last week in separate privilege speeches, calling for an end to the brutal anti-drugs campaign and placing responsibility for the killing at Malacañang's doorstep. The speeches of senators Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and Risa Hontiveros differed starkly in tone and cadence, but they basically had the same message: the need for President Rodrigo Duterte 's administration to stop his bloody drug war, search for better solutions to the country's alleged narcotics problem and make abusive security forces and government officials accountable. Hontiveros said that Duterte's hands are stained with the blood of Kian Loyd Delos Santos and of the 12,000 others killed in the conduct of his flagship security program. READ: Duterte to jail cops involved in Kian's slay if found guilty "The President's hands are stained by the blood of Kian, and the blood of the 12,000 murdered in the name of his bloody war on drugs," she said. "He inspired this culture of impunity and killing. He reveled in the deaths of drug addicts, while at the same time turning a blind eye on the big drug lords close to him and his family." Both Hontiveros and Aquino had called on a stop to the anti-drug operations in the country, the last series of which resulted in one of the bloodiest weeks in Duterte's more than a year in office. "Mr. President, we need to put an end to these killings. We need to hold persons in positions of power and authority accountable to the Filipino people," Aquino said. READ: 'Maganda 'yun': President praises bloody Bulacan raids Aquino's speech, which included the words of the family and friends of Delos Santos, the senior high school student allegedly gunned down by Caloocan cops in a dark alley in the city, sought to paint a picture of a loving son and grandson and a thoughtful friend. This is in contrast to how the police and online supporters of the drug war describe the slain boy, whom they claim is a drug runner and pusher. "'Kilala si Ian na nagbebenta ? nagbebenta ng school supplies sa mga dumadaan sa aming tindahan, hindi droga,' giit po ng kaniyang ama," Aquino said on the Senate floor. "Ang sigaw niya po sa kabila ng kahirapan sa buhay, "Laban lang! Ngunit, Mr. President, hindi siya nanlaban. Hindi po sya nanlaban. Hindi po sya nanlaban, Mr. President," Aquino added. He said that had the police known Delos Santos as his family and friends had known him he would still be alive today. "Kung 'yon po sana ang nakilala nila at hindi isang ang sinasabi ho nilang drug addict o drug courier na sa tingin po ng iba ay hindi naman tao at walang karapatang mabuhay, siguro po buhay pa si Ian ngayon ? nangangarap at nagsisikap, nagpapasaya at tumutulong sa kanyang mga kaibigan at kapamilya," Aquino said. Education, better justice system needed There are better solutions to the country's drug problem, Aquino said, such as education, a stronger justice system, rehabilitation, quality police force, proper and legal enforcement procedures and anti-poverty measures. Thirty-two people were killed in simultaneous drug operations in areas across Bulacan last week. This was followed by another round of anti-drug raids in Manila, resulting in the death of 25 people. Then another 18 alleged drug suspects died in separate operations in Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela Thursday and Friday. The president's assurance that the officers behind the killing of Delos Santos would be jailed was not sufficient, Hontiveros said. "In the same breath, he said that he cannot put so many pressures on the police and he cannot condemn them without validation. Naalala ko ang pamagat ng paborito kong pelikula ni Lino Brocka, 'tinimbang ka ngunit kulang,'" she said in her remarks. Hontiveros has been a target of derisive social media posts by Presidential Communications Operations Office Assistant Secretary Margaux Uson, a popular social media practitioner. She has called Hontiveros an "epalitiko" and has accused the senator of taking advantage of Delos Santos' death for political gain. Uson, who claims her views do not represent those of the PCOO, has been tapped to head the agency's Social Media Office and will handle the accreditation of bloggers and social media practitioners who will cover the president. Reinstatement of 'abusive' police officers Hontiveros said that Duterte's words had "inspired, abetted and condoned" the drug-related killings in the country. Just a day after the bloody drug operation in different locations in Bulacan, the president praised them and told cops the they should have more similar results. The president could not be trusted to provide an impartial probe into the death of Delos Santos as he had in the past reinstated policemen found to have committed abuses such as Superintendent Marvin Marcos and his men. READ: CIDG's Marcos returns to duty in Region 12 She said: "Paano natin mahahanapan ng 'good faith' ang kanyang pananalita, kung noong Disyembre 2016 lang, sinabi ng presidente na 'o pag walang baril, bigyan ng baril.' Kung tama ang mga testigo, ganyan na ganyan ang ginawa kay Kian." She said that those who continue to support the drug war should reflect on their roles in the reported deaths. "You felt stirred into action because you could no longer ignore the growing outrage from a country you had thought had grown callous to death," she told Senate colleagues. The senator said that the country should ensure that Delos Santos would be the last or one of the last victims of the drug-related killings. "Maari pa natin pigilan ang mga susunod na Kian. O ang mga susunod na Danica Garcia, Angel Fernandez, Rowena Tiamson. Para sa kanilang sinabing nanlaban, manlaban tayo. For them, we must keep on fighting," declared Hontiveros. READ: Senate majority condemns Kian's slay, calls for probe
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