MANILA, Philippines — In his two months in office, the newly appointed chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) wants to review and introduce a “new phase” in the government’s controversial war on drugs.
Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, whose term took effect on Sept. 2, is to retire on Nov. 10 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56. But President Rodrigo Duterte has the option to extend his term.
“The strategy on the war on drugs was [laid down in] 2016. It should be evaluated in such a way that … a technical working group will discuss the lapses and everything that has to be done,” Cascolan said in an interview with CNN Philippines on Wednesday.
“The main problem of our society today is drugs. I wish that I would be able to evaluate it properly [and] come up with a contingency plan and a new phase of the anti-drug war,” he said.
The President, according to his spokesperson Harry Roque, expects Cascolan to rid the PNP of corruption, continue the war om drugs, and uphold the Constitution and the rule of law.
High-value targets
Cascolan said that under the new phase of the war on drugs, the police would “focus much more on high-value targets that really affect and increase the drug problem in our country,”
He said the PNP would “come up with an analysis of who are really involved” in the illegal drug trade.
“We want these drugs to decrease at this point in time,” he added, and cited the need for more trained drug enforcement units to help in the fight against illegal drugs.
Human rights groups here and abroad have condemned Mr. Duterte’s war on drugs that has claimed the lives of thousands of dealers and users.
Per data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, 5, 722 drug suspects, mostly poor, have been killed since July 2016. But rights groups estimate as many as 27,000 fatalities.
Case buildup
In a separate radio interview, Cascolan said the PNP would intensify the buildup of cases against big fish.
“…We will see to it, we will build up cases against high-value targets. We will arrest small-time pushers, but as much as possible we will use them to arrest big-time drug traffickers,” he said.
He admitted lapses in enforcing the campaign against illegal drugs, but said erring policemen had been jailed or charged.
“Evaluation … will continue to boost our drug campaign, [to make sure] that we are arresting the right people and that what the police are doing is right,” he said.
Cascolan also said he favored the revival of the death penalty “maybe for high-level drug pushers and maybe for rapists.”
“We are law enforcers. Whatever is implemented by the executive and legislative [branches], we will follow,” he said, referring to capital punishment.
In his fifth State of the Nation Address in July, Duterte again called for legislation reviving the death penalty through lethal injection for drug-related crimes.
Seniority
The appointment of Cascolan showed the President’s respect for the system of seniority in the PNP, according to Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, spokesperson of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Said Malaya of the new PNP chief’s short stint: “It will be a challenge for him to do meaningful work in the next two months. But two months is also a long time. Even in one day you can accomplish a lot if you want to.”
Before his appointment to the top post, Cascolan was PNP deputy chief for administration. He was involved in crafting the PNP’s Project Double Barrel against illegal drugs, which includes the feared “Oplan Tokhang” blamed for the killing of small-time drug suspects. With a report from Leila B. Salaverria