Palace tells CHR to file cases vs cops involved in intentional killings of drug suspects
Malacanang advised on Thursday the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to collect evidence and file appropriate charges against policemen who allegedly had the intention of killing drug suspects in their operations.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said it would be difficult to file complaints based on a "very general conclusion."
"What the CHR should do, and as part of its mandate, is to collect evidence for each individual whom they think were victims of illegal use of force on the part of the state agents," he said.
He said all the evidence gathered could be turned over to the Office of the Prosecutor or to the National Bureau of Investigation for filing of complaints.
"If the CHR won't do this, nothing will happen if they just only kept on talking. There's a need to come up with case file for each case. If it's a case of illegal killing and at least that should be given to the police or NBI and file a complaint," said Roque, who is a lawyer by profession.
He said the CHR could be the main complainant but it could not act as a prosecutor since it has no prosecutorial power.
"In my view, there's no obstacle for the CHR to be the complainant just to trigger and start the criminal (prosecution)," Roque said.
In an Inquirer report, the CHR accused the PNP of using "excess unreasonable" force and had the "intent to kill" suspects during drug-related operations.
This was based on the thousands of drug-related killings in the past four years of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs that the CHR looked into. Celerina Monte/DMS
