Even former President Rodrigo R. Duterte will not be spared in the reinvestigation of unsolved killings that took place during his administration, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said yesterday.
Remulla said the Department of Justice (DoJ) will not let go of the cold cases because the families of those who died are still yearning for justice.
He said there are people who are willing to testify and give evidence to revive the cases because “there is no peace when there is no justice.”
“There will be no sacred cows and no exemptions because it is important that a person who committed a crime must pay for it,” he said.
“I really think that people’s peace of mind about attaining justice is the most important thing in our society. As long as justice is not attained those who were killed will be restless, thus the investigations will be continuing even if the cases got cold because the important thing is to revive them,” he said.
Remulla said he held a case conference earlier in the day with National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago and PNP-CIDG acting chief Police Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre.
“I told them to share information with each other. Of course, we may have to call on the families to give their comments on the direction of the investigations. Because the bereaved families should be given more attention this time,” Remulla said.
Remulla made the statements after Malacañang expressed support for a reinvestigation of the killings during the drug war under the Duterte administration.
Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin said, “The reopening of the investigations into the killings related to the war on drugs should indicate that the Marcos administration places the highest importance on the fair dispensation of justice and on the universal observance of the rule of law in the country.”
Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros has indicated her preference for Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero to head the Senate’s investigation into the controversial anti-drug campaign of Duterte.
In a statement, Hontiveros, a staunch critic of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, said she would propose the creation of a committee of the whole to lead the Senate probe.
“It is extremely important for us to uncover the truth about the bloody war on drugs, especially for the families of the victims of the extrajudicial killings,” she said.
“I will propose to the Senate leadership to convene a Senate Committee of the Whole, where the entire Senate will investigate the war on drugs of the previous administration,” she added.
The Senate President is the chair of the Senate Committee of the Whole.
Hontiveros said she is hoping that through the committee, the “victims and survivors of the war on drugs will feel more assured and encouraged to participate and testify.”
“We need to hear them so that we can uncover the whole truth,” she said.
For his part, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Duterte’s close ally and former aide, on Monday floated the possibility of filing a resolution urging the Senate to conduct a parallel investigation into the alleged extrajudicial killings during the former administration.
Another Duterte ally, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa had suggested a motu proprio investigation into the war on drugs. Dela Rosa chairs the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs.