MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros visited the wake of Kian Lloyd delos Santos on Saturday, promising “full protection and security to the family and to the witnesses, to provide whatever legal service is needed.”
Hontiveros’ visit came as the Senate the minority bloc demanded that the chamber “stand in solidarity against the senseless killings that claimed over 80 Filipinos,” including the 17-year old Delos Santos, this week alone.
“Ang buong bansa galit, nagluluksa (The whole country is angry, mourning),” Hontiveros said at the wake of the senior high school student from Caloocan, who police claim died when he shot it out with officers conducting an anti-drug operation but witnesses and evidence, including closed circuit television footage, tend to indicate was killed in cold blood.
“Paano tayo humantong sa ganito (How have we come to this)?” she asked.
“Siguro itanong natin sa mga sarili natin, ganito ba tayo bilang mga Pilipino? Hayok sa dugo na ok lang sa’ting may mga mabiktimang disisyete anyos na katulad ni Kian? Hayok sa dugo na ok lang mabiktima ang isang batang masayahin, malambing, mapagbiro at mahal na mahal ng mga kabarangay, ng mga kaibigan, mga kaklase at pamilya niya?” she said.
(Maybe we should ask ourselves, are we Filipinos really like this? So thirsty for blood it is okay for us if a 17-year old like Kian becomes a victim? So thirsty for blood that it is okay to victimize a gleeful, loving, fun-loving youth well-loved by his neighbors, friends, classmates and family?)
Hontiveros also called for an independent and impartial investigation into Kian’s death.
“We will unearth the truth. We will fight for justice for Kian, and for those whose lives were abruptly ended by this abusive and corrupt war-on-drugs. This ends here,” she said.
“Pinatay dahil nanlaban? Puwes, tayo ngayon ay lalaban (He was killed because he fought back? Now we fight back),” she added.
A statement from the Senate minority said Senator Antonio Trillanes IV “will call for an all-Senators caucus on Tuesday to bring to the fore the alarming resurgence of drug related killings” by the police.
“Sobra na. Maling mali na talaga ‘to (This is too much. This is so wwrong). I cannot, in conscience, let this pass. The Senators should have a united stand to stop this,” it quoted quoted Trillanes as saying.
Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, on the other hand, said he is filing a resolution to investigate the continuing drug war killings.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon agreed, saying: “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.”
Earlier, Drilon took Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to task for failing to investigate possible extrajudicial killings committed in the course of police anti-drug operations.
Senator Francis Pangilinan said he was enraged that the poor remain largely the target of drug killings even as billions of pesos worth of drugs are sneaked past the Bureau of Customs and into the country by “syndicates in cahoots with government officials.”
