House Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Leila M. de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal Partylist) has renewed her call for Congress to immediately pass a measure that would criminalize extrajudicial killings (EJKs), stressing that justice must prevail for victims of state and non-state abuses.
In a statement released Saturday, August 16, coinciding with the eighth anniversary of the killing of teenager Kian delos Santos, De Lima underscored the urgency of House Bill No. 1432, which she filed in July 2025. The measure seeks to formally define EJKs, impose life imprisonment without parole on perpetrators, and establish an Inter-Agency Council Against Extrajudicial Killings to ensure accountability.
“Justice is catching up. We continue to hope and pray that Rodrigo Duterte, as the mastermind behind these massive killings, will be held accountable, along with his co-conspirators and accomplices,” De Lima said, referring to the former president who is currently detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands on charges of crimes against humanity.
The former senator said Delos Santos’ case revealed the “violence, failure, and devilishness of the war on drugs” under Duterte’s administration, where government figures estimate around 6,000 deaths, though international human rights groups claim the toll may have reached up to 30,000.
De Lima also stressed the continuing threat posed by EJKs, calling it “a clear and present phenomenon of the times, boldly challenging our constitutionally protected human right against the taking of life.”
In addition to penal provisions, her bill proposes a victims’ compensation fund to provide support for the families of those killed.
“Kailanman ay hindi tayo dapat makalimot at magwalang-kibo sa mga pamamaslang at kawalan ng pananagutan. Hustisya para sa lahat ng biktima ng EJKs! Panagutin ang pasimuno at ang lahat ng kasabwat sa pamamaslang, lalo na sa mga inosenteng bata at sibilyan!” she declared.
Her call comes as other lawmakers also push for EJKs to be classified as heinous crimes, with proposals in Congress that likewise carry life imprisonment penalties and reparations for victims’ families.
