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Bam on PNP: May tinatago ba sila?

May tinatago ba sila?

Sen. Bam Aquino raised this question regarding the Philippine National Police (PNP) as he called on the organization to be transparent about its operations by showing spot reports to the Senate and to reporters.

  “Last hearing, Gen. Ronald Dela Rosa agreed that the PNP has nothing to hide kaya nagtataka tayo kung bakit ayaw ibigay ng ilang tauhan niya ang spot reports sa media,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam was referring to reports that members of media were not given access to spot reports, citing a new directive from Camp Crame.

“Kung wala silang tinatago, dapat nilang ipakita ang mga ito sa media,” said Sen. Bam, adding that journalists are responsible enough to handle confidential information contained in the spot reports.

In addition, Sen. Bam said the PNP’s directive to withhold spot reports from the media contradicts President Duterte’s push for transparency through the Freedom of Information (FOI) in government.

 Also, Sen. Bam expects Gen. Dela Rosa to comply with his earlier commitment that he will give senators a copy of the PNP’s spot reports, especially on cases of alleged extrajudicial killings and deaths outside police operations.

 “Itong spot reports, nagpapatunay kung meron talagang kababalaghan na nangyayari o wala kaya mahalaga na makuha namin iyan sa aming imbestigasyon. We still expect that the PNP will submit them to the Senate as promised,” Sen. Bam emphasized.

Earlier, Sen. Bam called on the government to suspend Oplan Double Barrel and rethink this bloody drug war, which has claimed thousands of lives since its implementation last year.

Sen. Bam calls on gov’t to end brutal killings, rethink drug war

Sen. Bam Aquino condemned the brutal killing of a 14-year-old teenager as he called on the government to suspend and rethink its bloody war against illegal drugs.

“Kasuklam-suklam ang pag-torture at pagsaksak ng 30 beses sa isang katorse anyos,” said Sen. Bam, referring to the number of stab wounds inflicted on Reynaldo de Guzman, whose body was discovered in Gapan, Nueva Ecija.

“We call on the administration to suspend Oplan Double Barrel and rethink this bloody drug war,” added Sen. Bam.

De Guzman was the last person seen with 19-year-old Carl Arnaiz on Aug. 17. On that night, Arnaiz was killed in Caloocan City. Police claimed that allegedly exchanged gunfire with policemen after a taxi driver claimed that the 19-year-old robbed him at gunpoint.

Ten days later, Arnaiz’s body was found in a morgue in Caloocan. De Guzman’s body was discovered nine days after Arnaiz’s body was found.

 Sen. Bam urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure those behind the brutal murder of De Guzman are caught, tried and imprisoned.

 “We call on all our countrymen to stand up against this culture of violence. We must put an end to all these killings,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam: Support for Marawi City homeowners still lacking

Sen. Bam Aquino urged the government to assist owners of private properties destroyed during the Marawi conflict as part of its efforts to rehabilitate the war-torn city.

The senator issued the call during the initial hearing of the Special Committee on Marawi City Rehabilitation, of which he is a member for the minority.

 “Napansin ko sa mga footage na karamihan sa mga nawasak sa labanan ay mga pribadong ari-arian. Dapat nating siguraduhin na may mekanismo ang pamahalaan para magbigay ng suporta sa mga may-ari ng pribadong ari-arian na nasira sa labanan,” said Sen. Bam, who is looking into possible legislation to address the issue.

“Wala kaming mahanap na probisyon that allows for government support for damaged private property para sa ating kababayang nawalan ng tirahan dahil sa combat operations,” he added.

 The Department of National Defense (DND) said its legal support group is looking into the legality of extending assistance to owners of private properties.

“For government offices and public schools, I am confident we can find funding and rebuild quickly. Ngunit kailangan rin nating tulungan ang mga kababayan nating nasiraan ng bahay at kabuhayan,” Sen. Bam insisted.

During the hearing, Sen. Bam underscored the minority’s full support for the government’s efforts to rehabilitate Marawi City as soon as the conflict is over.

“This is one of those efforts where we need to work together to ensure that the benefit of our countrymen can be felt,” said Sen. Bam.

 The senator also wants to invite officials from the local government unit (LGU) of Marawi and members of a non-government organization in the area to serve as voice and check and balance in the planning and implementation stages.

 Sen. Bam also emphasized that the committee might visit Marawi City when the fighting stops in the area for a closer look at the extent of the damage in the area and to determine the pressing needs that needs to be addressed first.

There are currently 359,680 internally displaced persons (IDPs) or 78,466 displaced families due to the conflict in Marawi.

Sen. Bam: Give clear directive not to kill minors and unarmed suspects

Sen. Bam Aquino called on Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald Dela Rosa to issue a clear and unequivocal directive to the police force not to kill unarmed suspects and to end the indiscriminate killing of minors. 

“A clear, definitive directive from the top na nagsasabing mali pumatay ng suspects na hindi nanlalaban, mahalaga iyon sa kapulisan,” said Sen. Bam after the hearing of the Committee on Public Order on the killing of Kian Delos Santos, who was killed during an anti-drug operation in Caloocan City.

 Police claimed that Kian fired at the policemen, forcing them to fight back. However, CCTV footage from the barangay showed that two policemen were seen dragging Kian to the alley where he was killed.

Another teenager, Carl Angelo Arnaiz, was killed by Caloocan City policemen after he allegedly robbed a taxi driver. However, forensic examinations showed that Arnaiz was handcuffed and was on his knees when he was shot two to three times in the chest.

By punishing policemen involved in the killing of Delos Santos and Arnaiz, Sen. Bam said it will send a strong signal that their unlawful acts will not be tolerated.

 “Kailangan bantayan ang mga kasong ito. The resolution of these two cases should send a clear signal to the rest of the police force that these unlawful acts will not be supported by the Senate or by the police hierarchy,” Sen. Bam stressed.

 “Maraming nakabantay sa mga kasong ito. Nakabantay talaga tayo kung magpapatuloy pa ang mga operations na ganito, kung may mamamatay pa ba. Gusto nating matigil na ang patayan,” added Sen Bam.

During the hearing, Sen. Bam asked Gen. Dela Rosa if there’s a pattern of killing in the PNP with the recent deaths of Delos Santos and Arnaiz.

 The top PNP official vehemently denied the existence of a pattern, saying the police have arrested 120,000 drug suspects alive.

  “The Senate is supportive of the war on drugs and arresting 120,000 criminals involved in drugs is appreciated, but killing of unarmed suspects is still a problem,” said Sen. Bam, adding that a clear directive from the top is a start.

Sen. Bam: Let’s not put BBL in the backburner

While it was not included in the priority reforms during the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) should still be pursued as it can help bring peace in Marawi and the whole of Mindanao, according to Sen. Bam Aquino.
 
“Wala man ang BBL sa mga inilatag na prayoridad na panukala, huwag natin ito isantabi. Magsisilbi itong daan upang maabot ang matagal nang inaasam na kapayapaan sa Mindanao,” said Sen. Bam.
 
Sen. Bam is a member of the Senate Special Committee on Marawi City Rehabilitation, which will conduct its initial hearing Tuesday.
 
Recently, the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) submitted to President Duterte a draft of the revised BBL However, the President did not raise the BBL during the last LEDAC.
 
“I hope we can still push for this reform for our countrymen in the Bangsamoro region,” stressed Sen. Bam, “Let’s pass the best possible version of the BBL and establish peace and prosperity in the region.”
 
The senator also underscored his belief that the BBL can help fight terrorism, rebellion and crime through peace and development and education and jobs.
 
“Sa tulong ng BBL masusugpo natin ang matagal nang problema sa Mindanao, lalo na ang terorismo at rebelyon sa pamamagitan ng kaunlaran, trabaho at edukasyon,” said Sen. Bam.
 
In his first four years as senator, Sen. Bam has pursued jobs, education and livelihood opportunities for Filipinos through the Go Negosyo Act, Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act and Youth Entrepreneurship Act.
 
“Naniniwala tayo na kapag nabigyan ng pagkakataon upang makapag-aral, makapagtrabaho at magnegosyo ang ating mga kababayan, madali tayong makakaahon sa kahirapan at magkakaroon ng magandang kinabukasan,” said Sen. Bam.

Bam to DepEd: No to student drug list!

Sen. Bam Aquino wants the Department of Education (DepEd) to ensure that the Philippine National Police (PNP) will not get hold of the results of the random drug testing of students in private and public schools so as to avoid abuses and deaths of students.
 
“The DepEd, as the lead agency in the random drug testing of students, must fulfill its promise to keep confidential its results. Hindi nila dapat hayaang mapunta ito sa kamay ng PNP upang hindi magamit laban sa ating mga kabataan,” said Sen. Bam.
 
“Kung makukuha ng PNP ang listahang ito, maaari itong maabuso ng mga tiwaling pulis at gamitin sa panggigipit. Ayaw nating magkaroon ng isa pang kaso na may mamamatay na estudyante sa ating bayan,” he added.
 
During the hearing for DepEd 2018 budget, Sec. Leonor Briones assured lawmakers that the results of the random drug testing will remain confidential and will not result in the filing of charges against minors who will be found positive for illegal drugs.
 
“Panghahawakan natin ang pangakong ito ng DepEd upang matiyak ang kaligtasan ng ating mga kabataan laban sa anumang pang-aabuso ng awtoridad,” said Sen. Bam.
 
During his time as chairman of the Committee on Education, Sen. Bam got the assurance from concerned government agencies, such as the DepEd, Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), that the random drug testing will not tread on rights of students but merely to determine the prevalence of illegal drugs in schools.
 
The DepEd and other government agencies also assured that they will extend help to students who will be tested positive through a rehabilitation program and peer counseling.
 
Aside from mandatory random drug testing, the DDB has institutionalized the “Barkada Kontra Droga” program to help keep the youth away from illegal drugs.

Sen. Bam: Senate to assert independence, united against PNP drug killings

Sen. Bam Aquino welcomed the resolution filed by the Senate majority condemning the killing of 17-year-old Grade 11 student Kian Delos Santos and calling for an investigation into the bloody drug war.

The senator called this an opportunity for the Senate to assert independence, uphold justice and stand with the Filipino.

“Marami na sa ating mga kababayan ang malungkot, galit, at nananawagan na tapusin na ang patayan, kung saan ang mga mahihirap na Pilipino ang laging nabibiktima,” stressed Sen. Bam.

 Sen. Bam also filed a resolution seeking to investigate the series of drug raids conducted by police in different parts of Metro Manila and Bulacan that resulted in the death of at least 80 people, including Kian.

“We expect that our filed resolutions will be consolidated so we can get to the bottom of these extrajudicial killings together and reassess the government’s strategy in addressing the drug problem,” said Sen. Bam.

 The senator emphasized that the resolution is aimed at ending police abuse and protecting citizens, especially the helpless and the poor.

 “There is a need not only attain justice for Kian and other victims of abuse by the State in the hands of our law enforcers and authorities,” said Sen. Bam.

In addition, Sen. Bam called on the government to reassess and change the strategy of the administration’s drug war, which targets only the poor and the helpless, while influential personalities are given due process, especially those involved in the P6.4 billion illegal drugs that slipped past the Bureau of Customs last May.

“The government’s all-out war against illegal drugs has failed to address the root causes of the drug menace in the country,” said Sen. Bam, who recently visited the wake of Kian in Caloocan City.

 According to Sen. Bam, there have been thousands of deaths under investigation, including 3,116 killed in police operations and 31 children, since the Duterte government assumed office last July 1, 2016.

Last August 16, 2017, Kian, a Grade 11 student, was among the 12 people killed in simultaneous anti-drug operations in Caloocan City. He was found dead in the site of the encounter, lying face down in fetal position, with three gunshot wounds, one to his back and two to his head.

 Police claimed that Kian fired at them with a 45-caliber pistol but several witnesses attested that the Grade 11 did not have a gun and did not resist arrest. CCTV footage also showed men in civilian attire dragging a young man believed to be Kian before he was shot in a dark alley.

Minority senators demand an end to drug killings

The minority bloc demands that the Senate stand in solidarity against the senseless killings that claimed over 80 Filipinos, including a 17-year-old Grade 11 student Kian Loyd Delos Santos, in just 4 days.

Sen. Sonny Trillanes said he will call for an all-Senators caucus on Tuesday to bring to the fore the alarming resurgence of drug related killings by the PNP.

“Sobra na. Maling mali na talaga to. I cannot, in conscience, let this pass. The Senators should have a united stand to stop this,” declared Trillanes.

Shocked by the death of an innocent teenager in Caloocan City, Sen. Bam Aquino insists that the government rethink its strategy, saying the poor and helpless are casualties in this war while those involved in big drug cases are accorded due process.

“I plan to file a resolution kasi nakababahala na talaga iyong news reports,” said Sen. Aquino.

“We cannot tolerate the alarming police impunity in the country. We need to investigate these killings of alleged drug suspects including a Grade 11 student in police operations,” Sen. Franklin Drilon echoed.

Drilon earlier questioned Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre at the 2018 budget hearing for their failure to investigate extra judicial killings, with only 37 of about 4,000 deaths related to the anti-drug campaign were investigated.

Meanwhile, Sen. Francis Pangilinan was enraged that the poor are marked as a target while more than P6 billion worth of illegal drugs can slip past the Bureau of Customs (BOC) unnoticed.

“Ang ugat ng problema sa droga ay doon nakita sa pagpuslit ng tonetoneladang shabu sa BoC ng mga sindikato kasabwat ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno,” said Pangilinan.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros urged the government to stop the extrajudicial killings, saying the Duterte administration cannot kill its way out of the drug problem.

“We refuse to accept these killings as normal,” said Hontiveros.

Sen. Leila de Lima also criticized Duterte for praising the deadly Bulacan raids, which killed 32 people, saying, “Those are clear words of a deranged mind. If you say that it’s good to kill 32 people a day – that’s a deranged mind.”

Over 80 of our countrymen were killed in Manila, Bulacan and in the Camanava (Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela) area in the span of 4 days, all in the name of the PNP’s anti-drug and anti-crime operations.

Sen. Bam demands Senate probe on death of teenager

Calling it shocking and worrisome, Sen. Bam Aquino plans to file a resolution to look into the death of a 17-year-old during an anti-illegal drug operation in Caloocan City.

“I plan to file a resolution kasi nakababahala talaga iyong news reports. Hindi lang iyan, may lumalabas pa na may paglilinlang sa pagpaslang,” said Sen. Bam, referring to a 17-year-old Grade 11 student, identified as Kian Loyd Delos Santos.

Police claimed that Delos Santos shot them several times, prompting them to retaliate, killing him. However, CCTV footage from the barangay showed two policemen dragging the victim to the place where he was found dead.

“Makikita naman natin na hindi siya bumunot ng baril dahil dala-dala siya sa sulok kaya kailangan itong maimbestigahan at maparusahan ang mga nasa likod nito,” added Sen. Bam.

While he supports the government’s campaign against illegal drugs, Sen. Bam insisted that the government should rethink its strategy, saying the poor and helpless are casualties in this war while those involved in big drug cases are accorded due process.

In recent drug operations, 74 persons were killed in Manila, Bulacan and in the Camanava (Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela) area

Sen. Bam: Gov’t losing needed revenue on corrupt Customs

Sen. Bam Aquino said the government is losing much-needed revenue due to corruption in the Bureau of Customs (BoC).

“Not only are we bringing in drugs, we’re also losing money on smuggled goods because of corruption in the BoC,” said Sen. Bam after the hearing on the P6.4 billion worth of shabu that slipped past the bureau’s watch.

“Habang pinoproblema ang tax reform at pagpondo sa libreng edukasyon sa mga state universities and colleges (SUCs), hinahayaan lang na mawala ang kita ng gobyerno sa imports dahil sa korupsyon sa Customs,” added Sen. Bam.

It was reported that the BoC fell short of its target for July by 11.2 percent. Last month, the bureau collected P34.8 billion in import duties and other taxes, short of the P39.2-billion target.

As of end-July, the BoC’s collection was pegged at P246.9 billion, 3.9 percent short of its goal of P257.1 billion during that span.

Instead of bringing in new personnel, Sen. Bam said the government must implement new systems that will make the BoC efficient and corruption-free.

“Kahit araw-araw tayong magpalit ng tauhan sa BoC, wala ring mangyayari kung mananatili ang mga lumang sistema na pinag-uugatan ng katiwalian sa ahensiya,” Sen. Bam stressed.

Earlier, Sen. Bam criticized authorities for allowing the shipment of 600 kilos of shabu slip past their watch.  The senator called it a case of “negligence with corruption”, where some Customs employees accept bribes to deliberately overlook illegal shipments.

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