SENATOR Panfilo Lacson on Monday said that only the courts have the authority to decide on the liability of former President Benigno Aquino III over the Kidapawan massacre last year.
“There is only one duly constituted authority that can mete out any form of penalty against anybody found violating the laws of the land, and that is a court of law of the Republic of the Philippines,” Lacson said.
“Anybody else is unauthorized and therefore illegal…Hence, they should be made criminally liable if and when they perform such criminal act,” he added.
Lacson, a former Philippine National Police chief, made this statement after the National Democratic Front sought Aquino’s arrest for serious human rights violations in relation to the incident.
On April 1, 2016, the farmers’ protest in Kidapawan City turned violent, leaving at least three people dead and 10 farmers and at least 99 policemen injured.
Lacson pointed out that it is the responsibility of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the PNP and all law-abiding citizens of this country to protect former President Aquino from “enemies of the state.”
Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella earlier said that there is only one government and one justice system in the Philippines and only the appropriate body could rule on the issue.
He also said that security measures will be in place to protect the former President and other people mentioned by the NDF.
The NDF on Saturday said that the revolutionary government had indicted Aquino and other officials including North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista, North Cotabato 2nd District Rep. Nancy Catamco and military and police officials over the violent dispersal.
The NDF said Aquino committed “war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious violations of international human rights law” over the violent dispersal of farmers who were protesting the lack of government aid in the midst of a drought brought about by the El Niño phenomenon on April 1, 2016.
A copy of the indictment paper posted on the CPP’s website said the trial will start “upon the arrest and capture” of Aquino and the others.
The announcement was made on the first anniversary of the violent dispersal of at least 6,000 farmers in Kidapawan City.
