REPORT ON INVESTIGATED KILLINGS IN RELATION TO THE ANTI-ILLEGAL DRUG CAMPAIGN CONCLUSIONS The Commission reiterates its observation that drug-related killings have become rampant and widespread, occurring across the country’s regions, during the administration of President Duterte. Victims targeted had actual or perceived links to illegal drugs; they were killed with disproportionate and/or excessive force or in a brutal manner whether during alleged operations by law enforcers or during attacks by unidentified or private persons. A review of the killings in the context of operations by law enforcers show a pattern of police operatives claiming to have acted in self-defense against the victims who allegedly either pulled-out a gun to shoot the operatives or tried to grab the gun of an operative. Contrary to the claims of self-defense, available information indicated intent to kill by the police operatives and disproportionality of force used to repel aggression—with the fatal location and number of gunshot wounds sustained by the victims. There were possible violations of the rights of the drug suspects, and lapses in the observance of protocols established by law and reiterated in PNP Manuals. Meanwhile, killings outside the context of a law enforcement operation indicate possible consistency with the objectives espoused in the government’s campaign against illegal drugs. The Commission notes that the majority of the victims in the incidents analyzed were listed in several drug watchlists by the government. The injuries sustained by the victims, and the manner of disposal of the bodies in some incidents, reveal no intention to keep the victims alive. And their purpose to instill fear among the victims’ kin for them not to pursue justice has been bold, brazen, and clear. In its investigation and documentation, the Commission observed the impunity within which these killings occur and operate. Perpetrators are seldom brought to justice as the climate of fear paralyze accountability mechanisms and processes. In several instances, the Commission finds that families and witnesses decline to participate in any investigation in fear for their own safety and security. Some individuals have refused to be named as sources of information, scared to be identified and later be targeted by the perpetrators. At times, perpetrators are shielded from independent, prompt, and thorough investigations through the invocation of the processes supposedly created to ensure protection and promotion of rights and freedoms. The Commission reiterates its earlier finding that investigation and prosecution of alleged drug-related killings do not abide by the standards and guidelines set up in the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death. With the support of presidential directive and other issuances, the PNP’s repeated denial of the Commission’s access to police records is indicative of the lack of transparency and impartiality in its internal processes. Given the conclusions of this report, the Commission finds that the government has not only failed in its obligation to respect and protect the human rights of every citizen, in particular, victims of drug-related killings, but it has also encouraged a culture of impunity that shields perpetrators from being held to account. It must be emphasized that the Commission supports campaigns to combat the effects and proliferation of dangerous drugs, but it reminds the State that such measures must be coupled with a strong drive to promote due process, equal protection, full accountability, and the rule of law, thus, fulfilling its fundamental duty to uphold the rights and dignity of all. 37