Statement of Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Partido Liberal president, on the murder of Tanauan Mayor Antonio Halili

July 2, 2018

Maliwanag na ito ay isa pang kaso ng EJK o patayan na bunga ng tinatawag na drug war na inilunsad ng gobyerno. Uulitin natin: ang araw-araw na patayan ng ating mga kababayan ay hindi solusyon at hindi sosolusyunan ang problema sa droga.

Matapos ang dalawang taong patayan, may iligal na droga pa rin na hawak ng mga sindikato sa New Bilibid Prisons, wala pa ring mga sindikato ng droga ang kinukulong sa kontrobersya ng P6.4-bilyon Bureau of Customs shabu smuggling. At ang mga nasa likod nitong mga sindikato ng droga, hanggang ngayon wala pa ring kinakasuhan o nakukulong.

Maaaring revenge killings ang nangyayari dahil kilala rin ng mga biktima ng EJK ang pumatay sa kanilang mga kamag-anak. Ganyan ang nangyari sa Thailand sa drug war nito noong mga taon ng 2000. Tungkulin ng pamahalaan na pakontiin at solusyuan ang krimen at ang kawalan ng paggalang sa batas. Itong imahen ng Plipinas na magulo ang nagtutulak paalis sa mga local at foreign investor kaya bumabagal ang pag-unlad ng bayan at humaharang sa mga pagkakaroon ng trabaho para sa ating mga kababayan.

This is clearly another case of EJK or killing resulting from the so-called drug war launched by the government. We reiterate: the everyday killings of our citizens do not and will not solve the drug problem.

After two years of killings, syndicates continue their illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prisons, no drug syndicate in the P6.4-billion Bureau of Customs shabu smuggling controversy has been jailed. Until now, no one among those behind these drug syndicates has been charged or jailed.

These may be revenge killings as EJK victims know who killed their relatives. That is what happened in Thailand during its own drug war in the early 2000s. It is the government’s duty to prevent and solve criminality and the breakdown in the rule of law. It is this Philippine image of a “wild, wild west” that has also dampened the desire of both foreign and local investors from investing, thereby slowing down our economic development and preventing much ended employment opportunities and jobs for our citizens.