Albayalde: PNP to observe the law in campus antidrug operations

INQUIRER.net STOCK IMAGE

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will follow the rule of law in conducting antidrug operations in higher educational institutions (HEIs), Director General Oscar Albayalde said Monday.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) earlier said that law enforcement agencies could conduct anti-illegal drug operations inside the premises of HEIs given that they coordinate with school officials.

“We will follow the rule of law here. We want to assure the public that human rights is deeply embedded in the system of the Philippine National Police. That we can promise and we can assure the public,” Albayalde said in a press briefing.

Albayalde said the PNP would coordinate with school administrators should they conduct operations in a certain school.

“We will not come in na parang magko-conduct ng buy-bust. No, we will not do that. We will surely coordinate with the faculty, ‘yung mga administrator doon, sa mga security managers nila sa different schools,” he said.

(We will not come in as if we will conduct a buy-bust. No, we will not do that. We will surely coordinate with the faculty, the administrators, and security managers of the different schools.)

According to Albayalde, the PNP has not received reports on colleges and universities being used as a hotbed for illegal drugs. /cbb

RELATED STORIES

‘Blood would be on your hands,’ Tinio warns CHEd over drug test memo

NUSP fears student drug tests may lead to ‘Oplan Tokhang’ in schools