Before anything else, Id like to paint you a picture.

Imagine yourself as one of the countless

victims surviving kin. Imagine having lost a beloved one, a family member, a relative, a best friend.
Wouldnt you want retribution? Wouldnt you want to get to the bottom of this and expose the people
responsible, and justice finally be served?

Justice Delayed is justice denied, how much more putting an end to the only hope of attaining
justice for the victims and their families?

Although we concede to the fact that other issues are currently left out in the dark, but it seems to us
that our opponents beliefs are misplaced.These hearings on the alleged extrajudicial killings are just as
important. (As those mentioned by the previous speaker.)

The previous opposing counsel repeatedly stated that The Senate hearings on the alleged
Extrajudicial Killings must be terminated because it would not be beneficial for the state and would be
a waste of time. Well, Im here to prove her wrong.

Our time will not be wasted when we use it for a fruitful matter, such as continuing the senate
hearings on extrajudicial killings, which would result to a competent one and would provide us the
benefits of proper enforcement of law for the good of public welfare and for future generations.
Justice needs to be served and the violators of the law must be punished because no one is above the
law, not even the President himself.

The President legitimized a system of crime response where the police and regular citizens
become prosecutors, judges and executioners. The Criminal Justice System provides safeguards to
protect suspected offenders and all citizens against arbitrary acts through transparency, and checks
and balances. The arbitrary killing of suspects bypasses this system altogether, infringes on
fundamental due process tenets and denies people the right to be presumed innocent until proven
guilty.

There is a need for further hearings on the spate of drug-related killings under President
Dutertes bloody war on drugs because several witnesses have yet to testify and new developments
have not been taken into account.

These hearings must not be stopped nor terminated because this will also help Congress craft
measures that would ensure proper enforcement of law by the authorities. It was premature to
terminate the proceedings and declare that President Dutertes link to the deaths was not
established, and that the existence of the notorious Davao Death Squad was not proven.

We hope that the hearings will be continued to normalize the criminality under the guise of
peace and order and to satisfy our duties in the international law on United Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.

The purposes and functions of the law is to:

1. Establish standards
2. Maintain order
3. Promote social justice
4. Resolve disputes
5. Protect liberties and rights of the people

The agents of the state were created to ensure the enforcement of these laws And they should not be
the first ones to violate them.
 MANY KILLINGS WITH IMPUNITY THROUGH THE YEARS UP TO THE PRESENT HAVE NOT BEEN
RESOLVED BY THE POLICE, LEAVING OUR PEOPLE FEELING UNPROTECTED, INSECURE, FEARFUL, AND
CYNICAL ABOUT THE ABILITY OF THE POLICE TO PROTECT AND SERVE THEM.

THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO UNDERTAKE REFORMS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND STRENGTHEN THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO FORTIFY THE RULE OF LAW.

What alarms us the most is the killing of persons by governmental authorities without the
sanction of any judicial proceeding or legal process.(A.K.A. The ExtraJudicial Killings).

The Extrajudicial Killings which are happening in our country placed us in the global spotlight in a
negative way. That is why we must continue these hearings so that we would be able to show that
we can fix our impotence and wed be able to prove the world that Philippines, being a member of
the United Nations, also complies with the Universal Declaration of human rights and that our justice
system are functioning in its utmost diligence to investigate and make sure that violators of the law
will be sanctioned, punished and Judicial proceeding or legal process still subsists.

Art 3 (Bill of Rights), Sec. 1 of the 1987 Constitution states that: No Person shall be deprived of life,
liberty of property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection
of the laws.

We must not forget that peoples lives has been taken and to state the fact, numerous innocent
ones were took without due process.

We must guarantee the peoples right to a secure and peaceful life. The administration must
ensure, in its fight against illegal drugs and criminality, that the requisites under the Constitution and
human rights should be followed. The right to due process and presumption of innocence should
always be at the forefront of the law enforcement process.

This is a golden opportunity to show our people that under our democracy, we are not helpless. We
can, by instituting remedial measures, help the very institutions that are by law, responsible for
keeping the peace, solving crimes, arresting suspects and bringing them to justice.

These entities who are at the forefront of the war against drugs and criminality must do things right
and within boundaries in a regime where the law is supreme and where there is justice for all.

The President must also make people part of the process of change against drugs. Combatting drugs
entails participation from the citizens and the communities since the police cannot fight drugs alone.
The drive should be inclusive.

The people themselves should be part of the solution because the menacing effect of drugs is
personally felt by their families and communities. We must assure the public that the rule of law is
very much alive in this country.

We owe it to our youth and the generations to come that under our watch, we are doing
something that will create a more humane and caring society that solidly abides by the rule of law.
Hopefully, with the recommendations set forth above, the nation will soon see a ray of hope and be
assured that our institutions can be made to work with the end in view of ending the cycle of violence
the nation has been exposed to over the years.

Finally, this is also an opportunity for our people to stay vigilant and do away with apathy. As
the saying goes, ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE OF LIBERTY.
I am just but one voice, and one voice, admittedly cant do much. Which is why Im calling out to the
countless victims whose suffered loss. I dare you to speak up, and let our side be heard.
Let us not stop now. Not now when were already so close to uncovering the truth.