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MANILA – Former president Benigno Aquino III on Monday stressed the importance of due process after the most number of deaths in a week was recorded under his successor’s war on drugs.
Authorities should not violate the laws they have sworn to defend even as they pursue suspected criminals, Aquino told reporters, as outrage mounted over one of the deaths last week, 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos.
“Noong panahon namin, importante ang proseso. Importante na walang babalik sa amin at sasabihin kami ang mismong lumalabag ng batas,” Aquino said after visiting the grave of his martyred father, Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.
“Dapat may pagkakaiba iyong sinasabi nating labas sa batas o outlaw kaysa doon sa nagpapatupad sa batas. Kung pareho ang ginagawa natin at nila at wala na tayong pinagkaiba, mali ang nangyayari.”
President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war left dozens killed last week, including delos Santos, whom police accused of being a drug courier.
Aquino urged the administration to swiftly investigate delos Santos’ case. He said police officers may use lethal force only in self-defense.
“Nakalagay naman sa Saligang Batas natin kung ano’ng dapat gawin. Sana basahin ulit, sundan nang buong-buo,” he added.
This is not the first time that Aquino expressed concern on Duterte’s war on drugs. Earlier this month, the former president claimed that the estimated number of drug dependents was unchanged at 1.8 million as of the end of 2016. Duterte, in turn, called Aquino a “fool.”
Asked about Duterte’s latest tirade, Aquino merely said: “Sabi nga nila, hindi ka puwedeng balat-sibuyas. Siyempre di ko naman ikinatuwa. Pero balikan ko lang. Baka naman sakali matingnan niyang may saysay ang sinasabi, e di sulit na rin.”
The Philippine National Police has maintained that officers acted within the law during last week’s antidrug operations. (ABS-CBN News)
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