PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde said Monday, March 3, that the kind of questioning done by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) in relation to the public’s perception on extrajudicial killings was incorrect.
“I take the latest survey results on public perception to alleged extrajudicial killing (EJK) with a full cup of salt. It shouldn’t be surprising that 78 percent are afraid of getting killed. Who isn’t afraid to die, anyway?,” he said in a press conference in Camp Crame on Monday.
“I do not want to dispute the statistics derived by SWS, except that there is something amiss with how the questions were framed in relation to the perception of alleged police involvement in illegal drugs and alleged EJK,” he added.
In the SWS survey conducted on December 16 to 19, 2018, it shows that 78 percent or four out of five Filipinos are worried that they, or someone they know will fall victim of EJK.
The result of the survey is five percentage points higher than that of conducted in June 2017.
But Albayalde said the framing of the SWS survey question is leading and is already suggesting the “yes” answer.
“The question itself, parang medyo mali naman kaagad na ‘Gaano kayo nangangamba.’ Everybody would be scared of course. Sabi ko nga sino ba ang hindi takot mamatay, sino ba ang hindi takot na maging biktima ng krimen, everybody siguro takot tayo lahat maging biktima ng krimen, takot siguro tayo lahat mamatay ng basta ganun hindi ba kaya the question itself ito yung sinasabi natin. Let us be responsible enough,” he said.
The top cop also said the survey also failed to explain to the respondents what EJK is in accordance to Administrative Order 35, Series of 2012 by President Benigno Aquino III, which defines EJK as killings, enforced disappearance, torture and other grave violations of the right to life, liberty and security sponsored by the government to silence members of the civil society, cause-oriented groups, political movements, people’s and non-governmental organizations or ordinary citizens.
Albayalde noted that there is no proven incidents of EJK since President Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016.
He said at least 50 percent of the deaths under investigation have already been solved or cleared, which means that the suspects have been identified or arrested.
He said case folders of deaths under investigation have been submitted to the Office of the Solicitor General and they will be forwarded to the Supreme Court.
“No less than the human rights have already said that na hanggang ngayon, wala naman ma-prove na there is EJK and over the years, we have improved on our peace and order situation even in the alleged killings na ganito,” he said.
“We just hope na itong mga ganitong agency na hindi magpagamit sa politics. Let us all be fair to the Filipino people. They deserve the truth ‘yung ating mga kababayan dito. Huwag natin pagamit ‘yung ating opisina sa any political party or any political exercise for that matter dahil ito po ang nababasa, nakikita ng ating mga kababayan kung man totoo na nagpapagamit o hindi,” he added. (SunStar Philippines)