Senate majority issues resolution condemning EJKs

THE SENATE on Wednesday, Sept. 27, issued a resolution “condemning in the strongest sense the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and calling on the government to exert and exhaust all efforts to stop and resolve these extrajudicial and all other unresolved killings.”

Senate Resolution No. 518, received Wednesday afternoon by the Office of the Senate Secretary, is notable for its being signed by the Senate majority and introduced by Senate President Aquilino Martin L. Pimentel III, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph G. Recto, and Majority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III, among others.

On the other hand, members of the opposition in the Senate — Senators Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV, Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel, Leila M. de Lima, Francis N. Pangilinan, Antonio F. Trillanes IV, and Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon — were not among the signatories of the said resolution.

Also that afternoon, a number of senators took to the Senate floor to call their colleagues’ attention to a blog post criticizing them to the point of name-calling, as it cited an earlier resolution also on EJKs in which they were not among the signatories.

The said Resolution No. 516, issued on Monday, was introduced, among others, by the Senate minority, and it called on the “government to undertake the necessary steps to stop the spate of killings, especially of our children, and directing the appropriate Senate committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, to determine the institutional reasons, if any, that give rise to such killings.”

The resolution by the majority went a step further by citing — apart from “the deaths of Kian Loyd delos Santos, Carl Arnaiz, and Reynaldo de Guzman” — the murder of criminology scholar Jefferson Bunuan in a drug operation on July 20; the March 29 murder of Raymart Siapo, who was kidnapped “by a group of masked men who asked him to run…when he could not, due to a bilateral club foot”; and the murder of Roman Manaois “in Dagupan City by unidentified men as he was about to buy a midnight meal on 28 July 2016.”

The resolution also affirmed “forensic evidence by the Public Attorney’s Office that Messrs. Delos Santos, Arnaiz and De Guzman “were defenselessly killed, contrary to statements of policemen….”

Whereas Monday’s resolution called on the Senate to investigate anew the phenomenon of EJKs, the resolution by the majority noted that “the Senate has been working tirelessly against extrajudicial killings from day one and the appropriate Senate Committees have already submitted their recommendations to immediately resolve these crimes.”

Sought for comment on the two resolutions, political analyst Edmund S. Tayao noted that Ms. “De Lima managed to sign” (Monday’s resolution) while the so-called magnificent 7 didn’t know there was such a resolution.”

Also sought for comment, executive director Ramon C. Casiple of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform, said in part, “I think we still have the freedom of expression. Any senator (or blogger) can express his or her opinion through any medium.”

Communications Secretary Martin M. Andanar, who was also sought for comment, said, “We welcome the resolution filed by no less than Senate President Koko Pimentel. The Executive branch will always be on the side of the law.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Trillanes lashed out at Mr. Pimentel and Senator Richard J. Gordon, warning the Senate President that if Mr. Gordon is not replaced as chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, he “will work hard” to have Mr. Pimentel ousted from the Senate leadership.

Speaking at a forum on Thursday, Mr. Trillanes belittled Mr. Pimentel’s leadership style as “very passive.” He also criticized Mr. Gordon for his “reward-winning performance” as blue-ribbon chairman, adding that he is readying plunder and ethics charges against Mr. Gordon.

Mr. Gordon when sought for comment said in part: “I’m sorry, there are many more things we should talk about than him attacking people. I mean, we are a better country than that.”

Also sought for comment, Mr. Pimentel said of Mr. Trillanes’ remarks: “He can go ahead, sir, with his plans. This s a free country.” — with M.M. Banzon