Time to End Abusive ‘War on Drugs’ - Hontiveros

Wazzup Pilipinas!

“This style of war on drugs clearly suffers from human rights and legal deficiencies”.

This was the statement of Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday during the Senate investigation on the kidnapping and and slay of a Korean national in the hands of members of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

According to Hontiveros, the way to resolve the problem on drugs is through legal means and through a PNP that is fully committed to human rights and rule of law. “Ang tokhang for ransom ay hindi isang isolated incident. Ito ay produkto ng isang war on drugs na walang pagtataya at pag-galang sa human rights at rule of law”, she said.

"Galit ako sa ilegal na droga at dapat itong labanan pero galit din ako sa mga abusadong pulis na nambibiktima ng mga inosenteng tao," Hontiveros added.

The senator urged the PNP to reflect on its current anti-drugs campaign before it further harms the public and erodes public trust to the PNP.

"I urge PNP Chief Ronaldo dela Rosa to at least suspend this aggressive style as they clean up their ranks of all bad elements and re-instate internal discipline," Hontiveros said.

It was reported that Dela Rosa admitted that some of his police senior officers have no control over their subordinates.

"Masakit man sabihin pero inaamin ko na marami kaming junior officers na siga, bastos, undisciplined… depende sa degree of influence," Dela Rosa said during the Senate investigation when asked on why Senior Police Officer4 (SPO4) Roy Villegas is afraid of Senior Police Officer3 Ricky Sta. Isabel. The PNP Chief said that Villegas was merely following the instructions of Sta. Isabel on the Korean-kidnap-murder. Both Villegas and Sta. Isabel are implicated in the said crime.

#ReadySetGO! Run wild with Ekobuds GO

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We are so excited to share with you a new gadget that will definitely advocate an active lifestyle, and suit for every moment we’re built to be on-the-go. We would like to introduce to you our first wireless Bluetooth earphones, the Ekobuds GO.

Attached is our press release along with product photos you may use for your blog/social media posts. Thanks everyone and I have a wonderful week ahead!

Cheers,
Pauline Hermoso
Marketing Assistant
Frontier Gadget Inc

Engage for an adventure in the long haul and live with the rush with Ekobuds GO! It’s suited for an active lifestyle, as you can tune in to the soundtrack of your day with hassle-free connectivity. Strut your way with its matte black finish that adds that accent you’ve been looking for your style. Take your daily activities to an enjoyable level with this dust and sweat-proof Ekobuddy. It's time to stop watching the clock and start making all your plans happen. With Ekobuds GO, you can go run wild.

Bluetooth: V4.1+EDR
Chipset: AB1512
Frequency range: 20HZ-20Khz
Sensitivity: 95DB 士3db
Impedance: 32Ω
Play time: 4.5 hrs
Standby time: 120hrs
Charging time: 2hrs
Battery: 80 mAh
Water resistance level: IPX4

SRP: 1470

Available starting February 1 at Ekotek kiosks (SM Megamall and SM North EDSA), Office Warehouse, Anson’s, and more stores nationwide!

#Ekobuddy #ReadySetGO

Hontiveros: Death Penalty Under a Weak Justice System Will Give Filipinos Another Spectre to Fear

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros publicly opposed moves to reinstate capital punishment in the Philippines.

Speaking before 100 leaders of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) on Friday, Hontiveros said that death penalty combined with extrajudicial killings will create a new wave of fear among Filipinos.

"Extrajudicial killings together with constitutional killing brought about by death penalty will only add to the growing climate of fear and impunity in the country. It will further undermine the people's human rights, particularly the right to life," Hontiveros said.

The neophyte senator explained that the government's plan to reimpose the death penalty contradicts its supposed rehabilitation and reformation programs for convicted drug users and criminals.

“The broad scope of crimes punishable by death, including the mere possession of illegal drugs, is extremely bothering. What is therefore the point of building a mega-drug rehabilitation center in Nueva Ecija if the government wants all the drug dependents killed anyway?

Hontiveros also said that she can't imagine how the death penalty will work under the country's weak justice system which is prone to abuse and corruption.

"According to government data, from 1993 to 2004, 71 % of death penalty convictions have either been modified or revoked. This comes from an automatic review of the Supreme Court. Now imagine if the review procedure was not there? How many innocent loves would have been lost," Hontiveros remarked.

Hontiveros said that one of the best ways to protect the people from crime is to radically reform the country's justice system. "Ang kailagan natin ay mga batas at isang sistema na nagtatanggol at nagpapabuti sa buhay ng tao, hindi pumapatay," Hontiveros said.

"Proper and modern law enforcement, including standing behind the protection of human rights and observance of the rule of law, are the best methods to protect the people from crime and illegal drugs. A fast, fair and working justice system is the more effective deterrent against crime," Hontiveros concluded.