International human rights watchdog Amnesty International (AI) must present evidence to support its report that the Duterte administration has ordered and even paid some police to kill alleged drug suspects, otherwise, such claim would remain a “rumor” or just “loose talks,” Senator Panfilo Lacson said on Wednesday.
“I don’t know kung saan nanggaling yung report o information ng Amnesty International (I don’t know where the report or information of Amnesty International came from) but you know accusing is one thing, proving is another thing,” Lacson, chairman of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said in press briefing at the Senate.
“Of course kailangang mayroong ebidensya, unless mag presenta ng ebidensa yung Amnesty International, it will just remain what— loose talks or rumor,” he said.
(Of course, there should be evidence, unless Amnesty International presents evidence, it will remain what–loose talks or rumor.)
READ: AI: ‘Very top of government’ responsible for killings in PH
Lacson though admitted hearing the same “rumor” that some cops were getting paid to kill alleged drug suspects but said their own investigation showed no proof that would support such talk.
“Ako may nariring akong mga ganung rumors pero wala nga. Maski kami nagsasagawa ng sariling investigation, wala kaming makitang pruweba na totoo talaga na binabayaran yung mga pulis para pumatay,”he said.
(I have heard of such rumors but there’s nothing. Even we who have conducted our own investigation, we found no proof that policemen are being paid to kill.)
“In the first place, hindi naman maju- justify sa budget ng gobyerno o sa General Appropriations Act dyan so saan mangagaling yung pera,” the senator asked.
(In the first place, the government budget or the General Appropriations Act won’t be able to justify that, so where does the money come from?)
If he himself found any evidence that the rumor was true, Lacson said he would immediately expose it in a Senate hearing.
As a lawmaker, he said he would not also hesitate to act once there is evidence that would back up the AI report.
“But we need to see evidence, we need to see facts to support yung kanilang ina-allege (their allegation) coming from an international organization like the AI,” Lacson stressed.
“Kasi maski noong nakaraan, may mga accusation sila (AI) na hindi rin talaga na i-prove e, hindi rin backed by evidence so let’s just look at it that way or in that manner,” he further said.
(Because even previously, they already had accusations that weren’t really proven, that weren’t backed by evidence, so let’s just look at it that way or in that manner.) CDG
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