The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Negros Oriental has lamented what it perceives as a seemingly-indifferent public mentality on drug-related killings in the Province.
CHR Provincial Chief and Special Investigator Dr. Jesus Cañete pointed out on Tuesday that only two of the 15 drug-related cases his office is investigating are actually moving forward.
One case is in Guihulngan City where a four-year old girl was gunned down along with her father, a suspected drug pusher, in a police operation.
Another is that of a 14-year old boy in Bayawan City who was hit by a stray bullet when two suspects fired at an alleged drug personality. The boy survived, while a witness has identified one of two suspects as a policeman, Cañete disclosed.
The CHR is pursuing these cases because of the availability of evidences, on top of the complainants and witnesses to warrant investigation, according to Cañete.
The status of the rest of the cases is either slowing down or has met a snag due to the indifference of the surviving families of the victims or the witnesses to cooperate with law enforcement, he added.
Of the 15 drug-related cases the CHR in Negros Oriental is investigating, some of them are what Cañete describes as extra-judicial killings based on his agency’s parameters.
Others are legitimate police operations where the victims were shot dead for fighting back and resisting arrest, Cañete said.
These cases were documented since the middle of this year.
The CHR Provincial Chief expressed disappointment that many of victims’ next of kin and even witnesses are afraid to cooperate with the investigation.
In fact, some families appear to be resigned to their family member being shot dead for being a drug personality, Cañete lamented.
Cañete also said he feels that many local people here appear to be insensitive to the plight of those killed, in relation to the massive government campaign against illegal drugs.
The CHR local chief said he could not simply rely on social media to help his agency determine the pulse of the people on EJKs and drug-related killings.
“Our efforts become futile when people do not cooperate with us, and give us the necessary information for a successful investigation,”Cañete stressed.
This year’s theme for the celebration of National Human Rights Consciousness Week is Stand Up for the Rights of Others Today, he added. (JFP)
