DOJ to focus on review of drug war deaths in urban areas

 (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — After releasing its initial assessment for 52 cases of drug war killings, the Department of Justice (DOJ) will now focus on reviewing cases in urban areas, Undersecretary Adrian Sugay said on Thursday.

“Mayroon pa, 6,000 ‘yan na natitira na kailangan tingnan. Masyadong marami yan and we have a few months to do it so napag-usapan namin na siguro nararapat na mag-concentrate tayo sa urban areas,” he said in a Laging Handa public briefing.

(There are still about 6,000 cases that we need to review. That’s too much and we have a few months to do it so we have agreed to concentrate on urban areas.)

“Ang gagawin natin, ang direktiba ni Secretary [Menardo Guevarra], maybe we should go after those cases sa urban areas at let’s concentrate on reviewing those case files,” he added.

(What we will do.. the directive of Secretary Guevarra, is maybe we should go after those cases in the urban area and concentrate on reviewing those case files.)

Sugay said the chief of the Philippine National Police has expressed willingness and readiness to make available the case records to the DOJ.

In the 52 reviewed cases of drug war killings, the DOJ has found that many police officers did not follow the standard operating protocols and processes, Sugay said.

He added that more than 150 police officers were involved in the drug operations in question.

He said their names were not made public to give them due process. Their names would be made public, however, once charges are filed against them.

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