“They may say the victim is a snatcher and a thief, but that is still not reason enough to kill him,” said Cinco, who is also chairman of Karapatan-Cebu. “That is taking a life without due process of law.”

The right to life is one of the basic human rights enshrined in the Constitution, particularly in Art. III, Sec. 1 which states that:

No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or
property without due process of law, nor shall any
person be denied the equal protection of the
laws.

It is also provided for by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), to which the Philippine government is a signatory. “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person,” states Article 3 of the UDHR.

Osmeña has hit back at the IBP-Cebu City for criticizing him on the issue of killings by vigilantes. “Is the IBP really interested in human rights, or are they concerned about the loss of their clients? Because while they defend innocent people, they also defend some guilty people,” he said in his interview with Bulatlat.

This does not sit well with Cinco. He said lawyers are under oath to provide legal assistance to anyone – be they criminals or not, moneyed or not – who encounters legal problems or conflicts.

Cinco further said that the position of the IBP is anchored on the existence of laws, a police force, and a government. He said that the police should investigate criminal cases and file appropriate charges against the suspects – who, he said, should be jailed if found guilty in court.

“What the vigilantes are doing is to just kill suspected criminals, which is not good and which is a violation of our laws,” he pointed out, “The point is, we all have rights – whether we are criminals or not. That’s in the Constitution.”

Osmeña said that he also sees the presence of vigilante groups in Cebu City as something he cannot be proud of. “It’s basically wrong,” he admitted. (Bulatlat.com)

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