Fr. Flaviano “Flavie” Villanueva, a missionary from the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), joins members of the families of drug war killings as they receive the exhumed remains of their loved ones from the Tala Cemetery in Caloocan City on June 10, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATED) — Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa on Monday challenged a Catholic priest helping alleged victims of the blood drug war, saying he should have filed cases over the killings so these could have been investigated the Philippine National Police that he used to lead.

Dela Rosa made the comments after Fr. Flaviano "Flavie" Villanueva, SVD of Project Paghilom, which helps families whose relatives were killed in the drug war rebuild their lives, presented cases of alleged extrajudicial cases before members of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

"'Yung inimbestigahan niyo na mga kaso, marami yun sinabi mo and you have evidence...sa haba ng panahon, ilan na pong kaso ang na-file ninyo pertaining to those case that you have investigated?" the visibly irked Dela Rosa said.

(Of those cases that you investigated, how many criminal complaints have you filed?)

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Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, presiding officer of the hearing, pointed out that filing complaints was not necessarily the priest's responsbility.

"Since concerned siya, adbokasiya niya 'yan (If he is so concerned and that is his advocacy), he should see to it that justice must be served to the victims," Dela Rosa said.

"Kung hindi siya tumulong para ma-file yung kaso na 'yan, halata na yung ginagawa niya ay puro propaganda," he added.

(If he did not help with the filing of the complaint, then it is clear that what he is doing is just for propaganda.)

READ: Senate panel subpoenas Garma, Espinosa, others who skipped drug war probe

Pimentel said that investigating and building up cases was the police's job while Sen. Risa Hontiveros reminded panel members that witnesses and resource speakers at the hearing are presumed to be acting in good faith.

'NO PROPAGANDA'

"Hindi po uso at hindi po nasa bokabolaryo ko ang pag-bloat ng katotohanan at pagpo-propaganda," Villanueva said in response to Dela Rosa.

(It is not in my vocabulary to bloat the truth or to engage in propaganda.)

He added that his work has been mostly in providing psychospiritual interventions for victims' families, saying "justice has different facades" not just the one provided by a court. 

He said that helping widowed spouses go back to work and orphaned children go back to school after a tragic death was, for him, also a form of justice.

"To address the cases, there are cases that are being addressed. There are cases that have fallen into our hands and they are ongoing," he added.

"Marami pong kaso na nahabla na po (Many complaints have already been filed)," he said later in the exchange.

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WHERE ARE THE 'NANLABAN' GUNS?

Villanueva then countered by saying that since police protocol requires law enforcement to preserve evidence, it would be easy to substantiate police allegations that drug personalities killed in operation offered armed and violent resistance.

"[May] 6,000 po daw ang nalaban, so dapat may 6,000 baril with corresponding documents," he said.

(They say that 6,000 fought back, so there should be 6,000 guns with corresponding documents.)

He said: "One way to let the public know that the drug war was real... Let us see the 6,000 hand guns."

Dela Rosa later said he actually appreciates what Villanueva has been doing and apologized for his words.

He said he encourages alleged drug war victims to file cases, adding: "I am one with you in seeking for justice for these victims."

NUPL FEARS WHITEWASH

In a statement, the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers, which has been assisting families of alleged drug war victims, said it was "aghast" that the hearing had "become a platform for those involved and accused."

It said that this casts doubts on whether the Senate investigation will be independent and effective, adding there is a risk that proceedings will be used to whitewash the drug war.

It said that neither former Duterte aide Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go and former national police chief Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa "had neither the decency nor discretion to inhibit themselves" from the probe.