JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra disclosed on Monday that the Philippine National Police (PNP) has finally granted the Department of Justice (DOJ) access to scrutinize its records of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) involving policemen during the implementation of the government’s all-out war against illegal drugs.
Guevarra said this was the result of his crucial meeting with newly installed PNP Chief General Guillermo Eleazar on May 21 at the DOJ where they discussed two important concerns—active collaboration in the review of illegal drug operations where deaths occurred and in the investigation of EJKs and related cases.
During their meeting, the DOJ chief said Eleazar expressed his readiness to allow the Inter-Agency Review Panel to review its records involving anti-illegal drug operations where deaths occurred.
Eleazar’s cooperation, according to Guevarra, was prompted by the former’s desire to discipline wrongdoers in the ranks of the police and uplift the image of the PNP as protectors of the people.
A formal memorandum between the DOJ and the PNP will soon be executed to embody the agreement and pave the way for its implementation.
“What is significant right now is that the DOJ has been given free access, something that did not happen in previous years, thereby making our review rather difficult,” Guevarra told media men.
As a start, the PNP has agreed to give the DOJ access to the records of 61 cases involving hundreds of PNP personnel nationwide, where the PNP-Internal Affairs Service found either administrative or criminal liabilities on the part of law enforcement officers.
The 61 cases, according to the DOJ chief, were reviewed and evaluated by the PNP-IAS using their own records and personnel.
“We will check on the period actually covered. We understand that the PNP-IAS had investigated thousands of drug-related deaths but found 61 cases/incidents where clear liability was established. We will all know all these once we see the actual records,” the DOJ secretary stated.
Guevarra also noted that the PNP-IAS investigation is distinct and separate from the review being conducted by the panel although they would likely soon be integrated.
Earlier, the DOJ said the panel has already reviewed relevant cases that were filed at the National Prosecution Service (NPS).
In his report before the 44th UN Human Rights Council session last February, Guevarra said the panel intends to review a total of 5,655 anti-illegal drugs operations where deaths occurred.
Guevarra earlier said it is important for the PNP-IAS to give the DOJ access to its records so that it would be able to verify if their recommendations have actually been carried out.
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