MANILA, Philippines — A police officer previously assigned to the Batasan Police Station in the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) was grilled by lawmakers after he failed to explain how the past administration’s Oplan Double Barrel was implemented.
At the hearing of the House of Representatives committee on human rights on Wednesday, Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop asked Police Officer 1 James Aggarao if he knew the two parts of the drug war’s Oplan Double Barrel.
When Aggarao mentioned Oplan Tokhang — a portmanteau created by former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now Senator Ronald dela Rosa — Acop noted that the Double Barrel operations had another component.
“Ano’ng diperensya nito sa Oplan Double Barrel? Kasi ang pagkaalam ko, ‘yong Project Tokhang is the lower barrel. ‘Yon ang tawag niyo ng mga pulis doon eh, kaya may diperensya ‘yon. Pero kung nagi-implement kayo ng isang bagay na hindi niyo alam, eh magkakalintik-lintik na tayo. Hindi mo alam ang diperensya no’n eh, matanong nga kita?” Acop, a former police general, asked.
(What are the different parts of Oplan Double Barrel? As far as I know, Project Tokhang is the lower barrel. That’s what the police called it, that’s why it is different from the other barrel. But if you implement a policy that you are not aware of, we would be in trouble. You really do not know the difference?)
When Aggarao did not answer Acop’s questions, he was prodded by the committee chairperson and Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante to reply. Agarao said that he is not aware of the memorandum circular that mentions Oplan Double Barrel.
“Di mo kayang sagutin ‘yon (Can’t you answer that)?” Abante said.
“Meron po kasing memorandum circular doon sir eh, hindi po ako aware do’n sa memorandum (There was a memorandum circular before, I am not aware of that),” Aggarao replied.
“Would you implement something you’re not even aware of?” Abante asked again.
“Sir, no’ng time lang kasi na ‘yon sumusunod lang kami sa utos ng mga nakaka-taas (Sir, during that time, I was only following orders coming from those in high-ranking positions),” he added.
READ: Survivor, victims’ kin question drug war in Supreme court
Aggarao was involved in the drug war operation in Quezon City’s Barangay Payatas in August 2016, where a vegetable vendor named Efren Morillo survived. According to Morillo, it was impossible for them to fight against police officers as their hands were tied, and other victims were ordered to kneel on the ground.
Morillo also denied police allegations that he and his friends were drug dealers.
‘Pinaka-matikas’
Abante then turned to Aggarao’s superior during that time, Police Major Emil Garcia, after the former failed to answer Acop’s questions. According to Garcia, Aggarao was not able to explain properly what Oplan Double Barrel was about.
Garcia was also quizzed by another former police official, 1-Rider party-list Rep. Bonifacio Bosita, about the possibility of a quota in the police community precincts (PCP) accomplishments. While Garcia denied the existence of a quota, saying that the figures he gave were only estimates, he maintained that he was one of the best-performing PCP heads during that time.
“Kung titignan mo, eh tayo naman kung magkakasama sa assignment, kaya mong sabihin kung mas magaling ka sa akin o hindi, tama ba?” Bosita said. “So kung lima kayo ira-ranking mo ‘yong sarili mo out of five, sa tingin mo number ano ka d’yan, is it number one or ikaw ‘yong pinaka-mahina?”
(If we were assigned together, you could tell if you’re better than me or not, right? So if there are five PCP heads, if you rank yourself out of five, do you think you are number one or are you the weakest link?)
“Honest to goodness po, sir, ako po pinaka-matikas na commander dito sir eh,” Garcia replied.
(Honest to goodness, sir, I am the snappiest of the commanders here.)
But Acop was not convinced that Garcia was the best PCP head since he was not able to provide a proper orientation to Aggarao.
“I beg to disagree with what you said na alam niya (Aggarao)? Tutuloy ko ‘yong pagtatanong sa kanya, masasagot niya lahat?” Acop asked.
(I beg to disagree with what you said that Aggarao knew? I’ll continue my questioning, will he be able to answer everything?)
“Sagutin mo kasi, ‘wag kang niyerbyosin (Just answer it, do not panic),” Garcia told Aggarao, who was seated next to him.
When Aggarao failed to answer the question again, Acop explained that Double Barrel referred to Oplan Tokhang and Oplan HVT or High-Value Targets.
Tokhang was derived from Visayan words ‘toktok’ or ‘to knock’ and ‘hangyo’ or to plead — which described operations where officers knock on the door of alleged drug users or pushers and plead to them to surrender or stop their supposed illegal activities.
Oplan HVT, meanwhile, focused on targeting drug lords, big-time drug sellers, and known personalities like celebrities, government officials, and politicians.
The hearing of the committee on Wednesday is the fourth on the issue. On Tuesday, Abante said he is now convinced that the drug war was deceitful, having heard the testimonies of drug war victims’ relatives.
READ: War on drugs: The violence, scars, doubts and families it left behind
Previously, the committee also listened to Christine Pascual, mother of 17-year-old Joshua Pascual Laxamana who was killed by police officers in Pangasinan during the implementation of the past administration’s drug war.
Cops claimed the minor fired against operatives, but Pascual insists that Laxamana was merely coming home from a DotA tournament in Baguio City and was just caught in the middle of the operation.