KARAPATAN called on the Quad Committee of the House of Representatives to expand the scope of its investigations to include the extrajudicial killings of political activists by Rodrigo Duterte’s death squads.
KARAPATAN secretary general Cristina Palabay issued the appeal as the Quadcom prepared to issue its progress report on the results of its ongoing investigation on extrajudicial killings under Duterte’s drug war.
Testimonies provided by resource persons in previous Quadcom hearings have already revealed the names of police officers who were involved in the death squad killings of drug suspects and how such killings were incentivized through the use of the Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF) of Duterte as well as local officials.
Palabay had earlier called on the Quad Comm to further question police captain Kenneth Paul Albotra, who was said to have boasted to former police colonel Royina Garma of his role in killing Tanauan, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili in July 2018. Said Palabay, Albotra’s assignments from 2017 onwards indicate that he may have also been involved in the Sauron police operations that resulted in the killings of activists and farmers in Negros.
“In addition to Albotra, former Philippine National Police Chief Debold Sinas, who led Sauron operations when he assumed the post of police Region 7 chief in June 2018 to October 19, should also be summoned for questioning,” added Palabay. “Sinas should likewise be questioned on the successive police operations conducted by the NCR Police Office (NCRPO) when he headed it and when he was PNP chief, when activists were arbitrarily arrested and detained based on spurious search warrants and planted evidence.”
KARAPATAN also said that police colonel Lito Patay should again answer questions from the Quadcom on his role in the Bloody Sunday killings of March 7, 2021, when he was CIDG chief in Region 4A.
“The blood and money trail of the same police elements ordered by Duterte to kill drug suspects lead to the extrajudicial killings of activists,” said Palabay. “Debold Sinas, Lito Patay and Romeo Caramat, among others, must be investigated.”