(We yield this space to the statement of Panay Alliance Karapatan due to its timeliness. – Ed.)
THE FINDING of probable cause and serving of notice of pre-charge investigation by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Region 6 Internal Affairs Service (RIAS) to nine Criminal Investigation and Detection Group team leaders involved in the Dec. 30, 2020 massacre of Tumandok leaders in Tapaz, Capiz are a welcome development.
Karapatan will keep a close eye on the progress of this investigation as we maintain hope that this will indeed lead to giving due punishment to those responsible for taking the lives of nine innocent people as result of the operation of the PNP and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
We believe it is not only the team leaders who should be made to account for the murders, but also the higher authorities who ordered the killings, even up to the commander-in-chief himself who has implemented a policy of killing against perceived enemies.
The families and friends of the victims seriously doubt the RIAS investigation will go anywhere, considering the outcome of the PNP’s earlier investigation of offenses committed by men in uniform.
Like them, Karapatan would like to see beyond this doubt, and would challenge RIAS to pursue an objective, no holds barred investigation.
Would, too that this is not being done just to appease the raging grief of the families and relatives and their cry for justice that has become louder as it was amplified by different churches and other sectors here and abroad.
Let us all maintain our vigilance on this matter. Let our persistent calls for justice and an end to impunity be a guiding light for authorities to do what is right and proper.
