16 Philippine senators sign resolution asking gov’t to stop killings of minors

Senators voted on a resolution today calling on the government to stop the killings of minors in the Philippines.

Sixteen of 23 senators signed resolution 516, filed yesterday, calling on the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to “undertake the necessary steps to stop the spate of killings, especially of our children.”

According to a Rappler report, the measure also calls for a Senate investigation into the issue to determine the “institutional reasons, if any, that give rise to such killings.”

“Due to the alarming spike in the number of children recently killed in blatant violation of their rights guaranteed by the Constitution, Philippine laws and international treaties, there is an urgent need to conduct an investigation of these senseless killings,” the resolution read.

Data provided by the Children’s Legal Rights and Development Center was cited in the resolution and said that at least 54 minors have been killed in police operations or vigilante-style killings since Duterte took office last year.

According to human rights organizations, at least 13,000 have been killed in the war on drugs, either in police operations or by unknown assailants. This is a figure that the government disputes.

Below is a list of how the senators voted:

Senators who signed the resolution:

    Minority Leader Franklin Drilon
    Francis Pangilinan
    Paolo Benigno Aquino IV
    Risa Hontiveros
    Antonio Trillanes IV
    Leila de Lima
    Ralph Recto
    Grace Poe
    Francis Escudero
    Joseph Victor Ejercito
    Juan Edgardo Angara
    Loren Legarda
    Joel Villanueva
    Sherwin Gatchalian
    Nancy Binay
    Panfilo Lacson

Senators who did not sign:

    Aquilino Pimentel
    Vicente Sotto III
    Richard Gordon
    Cynthia Villar
    Juan Miguel Zubiri
    Gregorio Honasan
    Manny Pacquiao