Oscar Albayalde
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) dismissed on Monday the recent report of Amnesty International on alleged human rights violations on the drug war as a “stereotype” allegation that had never been proven.
“Palagi naman nila sinasabi ‘yun. I think that is a stereotype already… ‘Yung mga allegations na ‘yan are all allegations that have never been proven,” PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said in a chance interview.
(They would always say that. I think that is a stereotype already… Those allegations are all allegations that have never been proven.)
The London-based human rights group released a report Monday calling on the United Nations to investigate the campaign against illegal drugs, saying that “extrajudicial executions” still continue in the country.
It also claimed the province of Bulacan is now the country’s bloodiest killing field based on the high death toll in anti-drug operations.
READ: Bulacan now PH’s ‘bloodiest killing field’ — Amnesty International
But Albayalde questioned the report of the group, saying the country already has the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) which he said is “perfectly working.”
He said the CHR is the PNP’s own watchdog, and that human rights is institutionalized in the PNP and is being protected by the Constitution.
“Not probably only Bulacan,” he said of the group’s report. “Remember, our campaign against illegal drugs is nationwide. Pinromise natin sa Filipino people ‘yan, that na we will not relax, we will not relent against illegal drugs dahil ‘yan ang pinangako ng Pangulo.”
(Not probably only Bulacan. Remember our campaign against illegal drugs is nationwide. We promised to the Filipino people that we will not relax, we will not relent against illegal drugs because that’s the promise of the President.)
“But we will do it within the bounds of the law, palagi ‘yan ang sinasabi natin (that’s what we always say),” he said./ac