IBP STATEMENT AGAINST EXTRALEGAL KILLINGS

The magnitude of our nations problem with the Drug Menace has indeed reached
staggering proportions. The extent to which this scourge has pervaded all sectors
and strata of Philippine society is nothing less than shocking.
For this reason, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines applauds the very serious
efforts of the present administration to seriously address this grave problem.
However, we are a nation of laws and not of men and, as such, must never lose
sight of the very foundation of our democracy, the idea that the rule of law must
prevail. It is at times such as these, when the temptation to take extralegal measures
is at its height, that our conviction to abide by this principle must likewise be at its
strongest.
The alarming spate of what are reported to be vigilante killings of suspected drug
users and pushers, as well as the increasing number of reported arrest-related
deaths of drug suspects, deserves serious attention.
It is in the light of these matters that the Integrated Bar of the Philippines strongly
urges the Philippine National Police, other law enforcement agencies and the Office
of the Ombudsman to give due attention to the serious and credible investigation and
resolution of these incidents and the prosecution of the wrongdoers to the full extent
of the law.
It must not be forgotten that regardless of whether or not the victim is a drug
offender, unjustified killing is murder nonetheless. Likewise, while our law enforcers
have every right, and even the duty, to utilize deadly force when necessary to protect
themselves and innocent bystanders, the abuse of this authority is equally criminal.
In ending, the situation calls for recalling the Supreme Courts reminder in the case
of Allado vs. Diokno, to wit:

While the State has every right to prosecute and punish violators of the law, this
does not confer a license for pointless assaults on its citizens The right of the
State to prosecute is not a carte blanche for government agents to defy and
disregard the rights of its citizens under the Constitution. The Constitutions Bill of
Rights guarantees the preservation of the peoples natural rights which include
personal liberty and security against invasion by the government or any of its
branches or instrumentalities. Certainly, in the hierarchy of rights, the Bill of Rights
takes precedence over the right of the State to prosecute