Gordon dares colleagues: Present evidence on EJKs

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Richard Gordon challenged his col­leagues who are questioning the report his committee prepared on the extrajudicial killings (EJK) issue to present evidence to support their claims that state-sponsored executions are tak­ing place in the country.

Gordon, Senate committee on justice and human rights chairman, said he is standing by the report, which concluded that there was no evidence to support allegations that there are state-sponsored killings taking place under the Duterte administration.

While he acknowledged that thousands are being killed with impunity in the country just like in previous administrations, he said no evidence was presented during the hearings on the EJK issue to prove that the killings were state-sanctioned.

“The chair stands by its committee report. We don’t spin yarns on the matters raised here. We are good in the Senate but we are not that good because we don’t have the legs to do all the necessary investigations. There are other agencies tasked with doing that. We can only go by the parameters set by the resolutions filed by Sens. Leila de Lima (and Antonio Trillanes IV) and which prompted the investigation in aid of legislation,” Gordon said.

“We did not receive evidence from the senators who filed the resolutions. There was no evidence to prove that the killings were state-sponsored. And you heard me say earlier that if there was evidence that was presented that could connect it, then fine. We will investigate it. But since the framework of the investigation was clear and we did not receive any evidence, you cannot squeeze blood from us,” he added.

The lawmaker though is willing to reopen the investigation at a later date if there is new evidence presented to support the claims of the two senators.

Apart from De Lima and Trillanes, who both refused to accept the findings of the Gordon committee, Sen. Francis Pangilinan noted that the committee did not take into account many submitted crucial pieces of evidence when it came out with its findings.

This is aside from saying that the investigation was prematurely terminated and that “several factual and legal questions were left open that necessitate further inquiry.”

“That the recent cases of EJKs and summary killings may not have been state-sponsored does not preclude the possibility that such was at the very least inspired or enabled by various state actors,” Pangilinan said.