Trillanes calls for Senate probe on PNP ‘involvement’ in killings

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has called for a Senate investigation on the alleged involvement of some members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in extrajudicial killings.

In Senate Resolution 201, Trillanes said the probe, directed at the Senate public order committee, would ensure that the PNP continues to uphold its mandate to “serve and protect.”

“The alleged involvement of the members of the PNP in extrajudicial or vigilante-style killings should immediately be investigated in order to come up with remedial legislation to ensure that the members of the PNP do not use their authority, training and power in committing what could be considered as illegal and criminal activities,” Trillanes said.

Trillanes cited the involvement of two junior police officials in the killing of Zenaida Luz, a 51-year-old Citizen Crime Watch regional chairperson, in Oriental Mindoro.

Luz was gunned down by a riding-in-tandem who turned out to be two policemen identified as Senior Inspector Magdalino Pimentel Jr. and Inspector Markson Almeranez of the First Maneuver Platoon of Oriental Mindoro Police Public Safety Company (PPSC).

Pimentel and Almeranez have been charged with murder.

Trillanes’ resolution also cited an article of The Guardian, a British National daily newspaper, which featured an unnamed senior officer of the PNP who bared that he is a part of the 10 newly-formed and highly secretive special operations teams.

The said officer claimed that their job was to execute suspected drug users and dealers based on a list of targets.

Trillanes said the reported number of killings is “very alarming especially since members of government forces are allegedly being used to perpetuate this kind of killings.”

In a statement before the Senate justice committee in August, PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said the police organization does not and will not condone extrajudicial and vigilante killings.

“The PNP’s stand against extrajudicial killings is uncompromising. The PNP does not and will never condone vigilante killings. I have previously mentioned that these killings are perpetrated by various syndicate groups involved in illegal drugs,” Dela Rosa said.

“Therefore, the PNP will extend the full force of the law against those responsible for these crimes. Rest assured that your police [organization] is more than willing to adopt the lessons that will come out of this hearing. The PNP remains loyal to our sworn mandate to serve and protect the Filipino people in accordance with the rule of law,” he added. —ALG, GMA News