Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 14) — A week after the ‘Bloody Sunday’ killings in Calabarzon, Vice President Leni Robredo urged members of the judiciary to be extra vigilant when issuing search warrants that are being used in the crackdown on activists.
In her radio show Bisersbisyong Leni on Sunday, she stressed the importance of imposing safeguards on law enforcers’ during police operations, after nine members of progressive groups were killed and six others were arrested in simultaneous search warrants the previous weekend.
“Reminder ito sa mga members of the judiciary na nagbibigay ng search warrants. Siguraduhin nilang ‘yung ibinigay nila hindi magagamit sa pagpatay, hindi magagamit sa pang-abuso ng kapangyarihan,” she said.
[Translation: This is a reminder to all members of the judiciary who give out search warrants. They must ensure that what they’re giving out must not lead to any killing or any abuse of power.]
“Maraming safeguards, hindi dapat ganoon kadali. Hindi dapat ganoon kadali makakuha ng search warrants. Kailangan may personal knowledge, may proper determination ng judge, ng circumstances. Pati yung araw at oras ng pagsilbi ng search warrant, may safeguards.”
[Translation: There should be safeguards, the procedures should not be that easy. It should not be that easy to get search warrants. There must be personal knowledge, a proper determination by the judge on the circumstances. There should also be safeguards on the time and date of issuance of search warrants.]
In a statement last week, Robredo described the incident as a “massacre,” as the crackdown took place two days after President Rodrigo Duterte told the military and police who encounter armed communist rebels “to make sure they kill them.”
Laguna Police Spokesperson PltCol. Chitadel Gaoira had claimed the raids were “legitimate” as they seized explosives and assorted firearms during the operations, but Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes all the activists killed were unarmed.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra announced on Monday that they will look into the deaths through the agency’s panel on extrajudicial killings. The Commission on Human Rights will also hold its own probe through its Calabarzon office.
