/PNA
MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday maintained that there is no extra-judicial killing (EJK) under the Duterte administration.
The PNP made the statement amid the conviction of three Caloocan City cops, who were found guilty of murdering 17-year-old Kian delos Santos during a buy-bust two years ago.
PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Benigno Durana Jr. told reporters that the court conviction did not necessarily indicate that it is a case of EJK.
“In fact, there is no EJK in the Philippines. As described or defined in the administrative order by the previous administration, this is not EJK because it doesn’t fall — any anti-drug operation that resulted in the death of drug suspects is not included in that administrative order. So it’s a misnomer to say that any death that resulted in the death of drug suspects is EJK,” Durana said.
He was referring to Administrative Order No. 35 issued during the time of President Benigno Aquino III, which orders the creation of the inter-agency committee on extra-legal killings, enforced disappearances, torture and other grave violations of the right to life, liberty, and security of persons.
Durana also reiterated that there is no such thing as “state-sponsored” killings amid the government’s war on drugs.
“If you say a case or murder or any killing as state sponsored, it is the perpetration based on the state policy, right? It was never the policy of the PNP, as well as the government, to kill drug suspects,” he said.
“Definitely, it is not a policy. There was never a policy of the PNP that we kill the drug suspect unless otherwise they put up a fight and the lives of our operating personnel are in danger. So by virtue of self-defense they have to defend themselves,” he added.
Durana also said the PNP will be relentless in its campaign against illegal drugs despite the conviction.
In an earlier statement, PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said he sees the conviction by a Caloocan City judge as a reminder to his men to be “extra diligent” in fulfilling the requirements of the law in the conduct of operations.
“But this will not cause us to waiver a bit in our resolve to rid this society of the menace of illegal drugs,” Albayalde said.
Durana said Albayalde’s statement is very clear that the conviction will not deter the PNP’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs.
