The minority senators stand together with Filipinos who are alarmed by an emboldened culture of violence and impunity in our country. The foiled assassination attempt on a village official in Cebu City by a police antidrug officer reveals the abuse of power by policemen in carrying out the government’s war on drugs.
If any, this shows that cops are involved in the so-called extra-judicial killings.
Jesselou Cadungog, a village councillor in Barangay Tejero, survived the ambush. His bodyguards killed the assailant, PO3 Eugene Alcain Calumba, the antidrug officer.
The residents arrested alleged accomplice, Michael Banua, a police asset.
The Cebu City police, however, are peddling a ludicrous story by saying that Banua was their witness, and that it was Cadungog who attacked Calumba.
We stand by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña in coming to the defense of the village official. We also believe that an honest-to-goodness investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation is needed to bring out the truth not only about the incident, but in the involvement of policemen and authorities in the killings allegedly in the name of the war on drugs.
This is not the first time we have heard about policemen planting evidence on the body of the slain suspect, or saying the suspect resisted arrest (nanlaban) to justify the killing.
Just now, media reports said kidnap-for-ransom suspects that were involved in a police shootout were policemen in active duty from the Taguig police precinct 1. And who can forget the brutal murders of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo and young people, including Kian delos Santos?
It’s the President’s war on drugs that has encouraged and instigated killings and have emboldened rogue cops to take advantage of the impunity it has unleashed. Every time the killer escapes without being arrested sends the message that future killings can be carried out with impunity.
We are thus urging PNP Chief Albayalde to revisit their ranks and ensure that PNP is still true to its mandate to serve and protect.
Tulad ng maraming Pilipino, nababahala ang minority senators sa pinalakas na kultura ng karahasan at walang napaparusahan sa ating bayan. Lumalabas sa natiklong tangkang pananambang sa isang barangay kagawad sa Cebu City ng isang police antidrug officer ang pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan ng pulis sa pagpapatupad nila ng war on drugs.
Kung anuman, ipinapakita nito na sangkot ang mga pulis sa tinatawag na extra-judicial killings.
Nakaligtas si Jesselou Cadungog, isang barangay kagawad sa Barangay Tejero, sa pananambang. Napatay ng mga bodyguard ang gunman, si PO3 Eugene Alcain Calumba, ang antidrug officer.
Inaresto ng mga residente ang diumano’y kasabwat na si Michael Banua, isang police asset.
Samantala, nagpapakalat ang Cebu City police ng isang katawa-tawang istorya na sinasabing testigo nila si Banua, at si Cadungog ang siyang umatake kay Calumba.
Sinusuportahan namin si Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña sa pagdepensa sa opisyal ng barangay. Naniniwala rin kami na kailangan ng isang tapat at makatotohanang pagsisiyasat ng National Bureau of Investigation para lumabas ang totoo at hindi lang tungkol sa insidente, kundi sa pagkakasangkot ng pulis at ng otoridad sa mga pagpatay diumano sa ngalan ng war on drugs.
Hindi ito ang unang pagkakataon na narinig nating nagtatanim ng ebidensya ang mga pulis sa mga napatay na suspect, o kaya sinasabing nanlaban ang suspect para i-justify ang pagpatay.
Ngayon lang, may mga balitang ang mga kidnap-for-ransom suspects na nakipagbarilan sa mga pulis ay mga pulis din, mga nasa active duty sa Taguig police precinct 1. At sino ang makakalimot sa mga brutal na pagpatay kay South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo at mga kabataan, kasama na si Kian delos Santos?
Itong war on drugs ng Pangulo ang nagpapalala at nag-uudyok ng mga patayan. Tuwing ipinapakita na hindi naaaresto ang isang mamamatay-tao, isang mensahe na ang mga pagpatay ay hindi pinparusahan.
Dahil dito, hinihikayat natin si PNP Chief Albayalde na muling balikan ang kanilang hanay at tiyakin na tapat pa rin ang PNP sa mandato nitong “to serve and protect.”