The senseless killing of a woman and her son by a police officer highlights the prevailing culture of impunity among law enforcement agencies that should never be allowed to persist, senators said.
Senator Joel Villanueva announced he and several lawmakers have sought a public inquiry into the spate of unresolved, unlawful killings of citizens, including doctors, lawyers, journalists, and other advocates in different parts of the country, to break the cycle of violence perpetuated by the culture of impunity.
“No words can capture the outrage we feel over the cold-blooded murder of a mother and her son in broad daylight by a police officer who took an oath to serve and to protect the people. Given that the suspect is now in custody, we expect that the PNP leadership will leave no stone unturned and ensure that they will see through the filing of the case against the suspect until justice is served,” Villanueva stressed.
“We must put an end to the culture of impunity once and for all.”
“We must put an end to the culture of impunity once and for all. We cannot let our workers such as doctors, lawyers, journalists, advocates and even ordinary citizens live in fear and insecurity, and suffer senseless deaths,” continued the veteran legislator, who chairs the Senate labor committee.
Villanueva, Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri, Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Win Gatchalian, and Grace Poe filed Senate Resolution No. 600 recently seeking a public hearing into “the series of unlawful killings of citizens, including doctors, lawyers, journalists, and members of other professions, with the end in view of identifying gaps in law enforcement, ensuring the attainment of justice for all victims, and breaking the culture of impunity, especially among law enforcement agencies.”
Aside from the fatal shooting of Sonya Gregorio and her son Frank Anthony in Tarlac, the resolution also cited the various unresolved killings of doctors, lawyers, journalists, and other advocates in different parts of the country.
Dr. Mary Rose Sancelan, health officer of Guihulngan, Negros Oriental who was shot dead on Dec. 15 by unidentified assailants, headed the COVID Task Force in their town. Sancelan’s death decreased the number of physicians in Central Visayas, which has 2.43 doctors for every 10,000 population, according to the resolution.
The resolution also mentioned the unresolved killings of other doctors:
-Dr. Dreyfuss Perlas, a Doctor to the Barrio volunteer in Sapao, Lanao del Norte in March 2017 (Region 10 doctor-to-population ratio 1.93 is to 10,000 population),
-Dr. Shahid Sinolinding in Cotabato City in April 2017 (Region 12 doctor-to-population ratio 1.61 is to 10,000 population)
-Dr. George Repique, provincial health officer, in Cavite in July 2017 (Region 4A doctor-to-population ratio 1.7 is to 10,000 population)
-Dr. Zuriele Arambulo, a Doctor to the Barrio volunteer in Santiago, Agusan del Norte, in February 2019 (CARAGA region doctor-to-population ratio 1.61 is to 10,000 population)
“All the doctor to population ratio in the regions where these slain doctors were killed are very low.”
“All the doctor to population ratio in the regions where these slain doctors were killed are very low, and are way below the ideal ratio of 10 doctors to 10,000 population,” the resolution stated.
The country has a present doctor-to-population ratio of 3 is to 10,000 population, according to health department data.
The resolution also mentioned the separate killings of lawyers Eric Jay Magcamit, Joey Luis Wee, Baby Maria Concepcion Landero-Ole, Manila chief inquest prosecutor Jovencio Senados, journalists Ronnie Villamor and Virgilio Maganes, activist Zara Alvarez, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant Randall Echanis, and NDFP former consultants Agaton Topacio and Eugenia Magpantay.
“The series of killings in the past six months of at least fifteen people from members of various professions, including lawyers and journalists, and other members of the community, exacerbated by the fact that justice remains elusive for the victims and their families, highlight the need to launch an inquiry, in aid of legislation, to identify the gaps in law enforcement,” the resolution read.