Eleazar says police will not follow unlawful orders in anti-drug ops
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar. INQUIRER file photo / Niño Jesus Orbeta
MANILA, Philippines — Police officers are not “fools” to follow unlawful orders in the conduct of operations against illegal drugs, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Guillermo Elezar assured Wednesday.
Eleazar also reiterated that President Rodrigo Duterte has not given the PNP “permission to kill.”
This is despite the President’s previous order given to “trained to kill” law enforcers to “shoot-to-kill” those involved in the illegal drug trade who will resist arrest.
“Linawin naman natin yung permission to kill, parang unfair naman yun, hindi naman kami sinabihan ng ganyan,” Eleazar said over ABS-CBN News Channel.
(Let’s clarify the ‘permission to kill.’ That’s unfair, we are not ordered to do that.)
“Ang bottomline, yan (Duterte) po ay lawyer, at kami pulis, hindi naman kami gago na sasabihin na gumawa ng mali ay gagawa ng [mali],” he added.
(The bottomline is, Duterte is a lawyer, and we are the police, we are not fools who follow unlawful orders.)
Eleazar also stressed that he was ordered by the President to do what is “right and legal,” and that the police have not been given a “license to kill.”
“Sa akin nga, simpleng simple, noong magpunta ako sa kanya before I took office, ang sinabi niya lang sa akin is: ‘My marching order to you is very clear, very simple— do what is right and legal’,” he said. “Yun lang ang susundin ko doon.”
(For me, it’s very simple, when I went to him before I took office, all he told me was: ‘My marching order to you is very clear, very simple— do what is right and legal.’ That I will follow.)
Eleazar also noted that any abuses committed by police officers will lead to a corresponding investigation which may lead to the imposition of sanctions.
“Kapag nag-violate ka dyan ay kakasuhan ka. Hindi naman ibig sabihin na sinabi ng Presidente e, ‘Tumalon ka dyan sa bangin’, e tatalon na kami … Hindi naman kami mga walang isip na mga pulis,” he added.
(When you violate the law, you will be charged. Just because the President said “jump off the cliff” does not mean we have to do it. We are not mindless.)
