Manila: House Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima on Saturday called for justice for all the victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and for the urgent passage of a measure that seeks to define and penalize EJKs and related acts. De Lima issued the statement on the eighth anniversary of the killing of Kian delos Santos, who was gunned down on Aug. 16, 2017, in Caloocan City during police operations against illegal drugs.
According to Philippines News Agency, De Lima highlighted the significance of commemorating the tragedy, describing Kian delos Santos' killing as a crime that exposed the violence and failures of the Duterte administration's war on drugs. She emphasized that Kian was just one of the many victims, with thousands of families still awaiting justice for their lost loved ones.
De Lima also renewed her call for the swift passage of House Bill No. 1432, or the Anti-Extrajudicial Killing Act. The proposed measure aims to establish the Inter-Agency Council Against Extrajudicial Killings (Anti-EJK Council) to create programs and implement measures ensuring accountability for EJKs committed by state and non-state actors.
The bill stipulates life imprisonment without parole for any public officer, person in authority, agent of a person in authority, or private individual found guilty of EJK. De Lima stressed that EJKs pose a significant threat to constitutionally protected human rights and due process, necessitating urgent legislative action.
She further called for accountability for those responsible for the killings, particularly highlighting the need for justice for innocent children and civilians who have become victims of such acts.