Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Anti-Duterte senator removed from committee investigating killings

(CNN)A longtime critic of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has been ousted as the head of a committee investigating hundreds of extrajudicial killings during Duterte"s ongoing war on drugs.

Manny Pacquiao -- a senator and former boxing star -- moved a motion on Monday night to declare the chairmanship of the committee on Justice and Human Rights vacant which passed by 16 votes to four, removing former head Senator Leila de Lima.
    She will be replaced by Senator Richard Gordon as chairman.
    The committee is currently investigating more than 1,000 confirmed drug-related killings by police in the Philippines since President Duterte took office in June.
    Police
    Duterte and De Lima have been longtime rivals, after the senator tried to tie him to the "Davao Death Squad" (DDS), a paramilitary vigilante organization, when she was head of the Commission on Human Rights under the former administration.
    De Lima herself is also facing a congressional inquiry this week. The House of Representatives, which is dominated by allies of Duterte, is examining the proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prisons while she was justice secretary.
    Convicted drug lords are among the 12 inmates who will testify against De Lima, according to current justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre.
    "I was warned already about their evil design and insidious moves, such as fabrication of evidence," De Lima said.

    Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/

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