"I call on my fellow senators to uncover the truth behind this bloody incident. It is vital that there be a fair and independent investigation," she said on Tuesday.
Her request was because of the "serious accusations are being leveled against the police who participated in the operation."
"If these prove true, then what happened in Ozamiz was not a legitimate police operation but a state-sanctioned massacre. It would carry the elements and blueprint of the extrajudicial killing of Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr."
A man who claimed to be the sole survivor of the raid after playing dead, who identified himself as "Cesar", said the police intentionally killed the Parojinogs.
The so-called survivor claimed that the Parojinogs and everyone else were told to gather and to lie down on their stomach. As a police officer walked out, grenades were thrown at them minutes later.
Mona was killed from the exploding grenade while the mayor's wife was shot dead, before shooting Octavio and Reynaldo.
For her part, Hontiveros said it may be true that the Parojinogs are involved in a large scale of drug trade, however, allegations such as that "must not disregard and sidestep the rule of law, especially the rights enshrined in the rule of law concerning the prosecution of criminals."
"The government is the protector of the law and of its people. It is not a syndicate or a mafia. The campaign of the government against society’s criminals must not itself become a crime," she said.
Sen. Ping Lacson, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order, advised the lady senator to file a resolution for the investigation before the panel decide if a legislative inquiry is needed. However, the former law enforcer turned politician, was hesitant to call for a probe, saying that there were no irregularities.
"Ang tanong, ang ba ang meron para tumawag ng hearing? Mahirap kasi na kada police operation ay tatawag tayo ng hearing. Imagine ang itsura ng Senado doon," he reasoned out.
The senator already gave his comment regarding the predawn raid by the Ozamiz City police.
"The search warrant indicates it can be served any time of the day and night. So there’s nothing irregular there,"” he said.
"When I was still in the law enforcement service, talagang we’d rather operate pag madaling araw para element of surprise ‘yon eh…Remember pulitiko ’yan. ‘Pag araw maraming tao baka maraming taong madisgrasya pag nagkaroon ng exchange of gunfire," Lacson said.
Lacson said that he already verified what happened during the raid. From his source in Ozamiz City, the Parojinogs really did fought back against the police officers during the raid.
"I asked around from people I had contact with doon sa area. Noong mag-a-assault na ang pulis, they were fired upon by the security people. So all hell broke loose," he said.
Another Opposition member claimed that none of the Parojinogs deserved what happened to them.
"The search warrant was served early morning. Why does it have to be served in darkness?" Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said.
Meanwhile, the detained 'mother of all drug lords' wants to be updated regarding the raid in Ozamiz.
"Let us be clear about this. None of them deserve being murdered. They deserve being brought to justice for all their crimes, but not being murdered in cold blood. Their being Mindanao’s warlords and mafia bosses does not justify their murder," she said, as expected from the mother.
"The Parojinog’s and their Kuratong Baleleng’s crimes do not justify their murder, in the same way that Duterte and his DDS (Davao Death Squad)’s crimes in Davao City do not justify his murder," she added.
Source: Interaksyon
0 comments: