MANILA, Philippines – As far as Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III is concerned, the death of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos is a police matter that need not be discussed with President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte, the PDP-Laban party mate of Pimentel, has been blamed for allegedly encouraging extrajudicial killings in the government’s drug war with his assurance to police that he would pardon them if they are convicted of crimes committed in pursuit of his anti-drug campaign.

Asked if he would raise the case of Delos Santos to the President, Pimentel said, “No, there’s no need to talk [about it] because this is a police matter.”

Caloocan police shot Delos Santos for allegedly fighting back. But CCTV, eyewitness accounts, as well as tests carried out by forensic experts say otherwise.

In a Senate hearing, it was revealed that the bullet found in the teenager’s body came from the gun of Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares, the leader of the operation. Both the Philippine National Police and the Public Attorney’s Office concluded that Delos Santos was killed while he was kneeling down – apparent proof that he did not fight back.

While critics said Duterte’s statements have emboldened cops to commit extrajudicial killings, Pimentel said it is the PNP that should account for what happened. (READ: Shoot to kill? Duterte’s statements on killing drug users)

The PNP, he said, should explain how it is “educating” its men on conducting operations. He said the police should not just rely on “verbal” orders, as they have written rules.

“We need to find out from the PNP chief and the leadership of the PNP, how do you educate your police officers? Are they being educated?” Pimentel said.

“I’m sure it’s not all verbal, there is a written manual, a manual of rules and regulations, how to behave, how to operate, how to conduct operations, how to conduct drug raid. I’m sure the rules and then the rules of engagement are not all verbally communicated. These are all in writing so we have to ask the PNP to produce the written rules and tell us how their operatives are being briefed,” Pimentel added.

It was not the first time the PNP and the Duterte government were denounced over the drug war.

In November 2016, police killed Albuera mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr, one of the local executives in Duterte’s so-called drug list, in his jail cell. The Senate recommended murder charges against the poice team, but the Department of Justice later downgraded the charge to homicide, a bailable offense. Duterte even ordered the reinstatement of Superintent Marvin Marcos, the cop that led the operation.

Not all are EJKs

Amid public outrage, Pimentel said he stands by the President’s drug war but was quick to point out that there should be no unlawful killings. He added he has repeatedly talked to PNP chief  Director General Ronald dela Rosa to follow the law.

The senator also defended the administration, saying one case of summary execution does not mean all other deaths are extrajudicial killings. He said there are legitimate cases of “nanlaban” or suspects who fight back.

“So we cannot say just because may nadiskubre kang isang (you discovered one) summary execution that all of the other thousand deaths are also summary executions, especially with the fact that there was not only one operator. These are hundreds of police teams operating so each case should be approached individually,” he said.

Since Delos Santos’ death, Duterte had evidently toned down his statements on his drug war.

Delos Santos is just one among at least 31 people aged 18 years old and below killed in either police operations or vigilante-style killings in Duterte’s first year, according to data from the Children’s Legal Rights and Development Center in January 2017.

According to the PNP, the bloody campaign has so far killed more than 4,000 – 3,500 in legitimate operations and more than a thousand due to vigilante killings. Human rights and other international groups, however, have a higher estimate than the government. – Rappler.com