LOOK: Latest data from PNP–192 individuals killed in drug operations from May 10 – July 10 @inquirerdotnet pic.twitter.com/I6MVF143WY
— Julliane de Jesus (@JLDejesusINQ) July 14, 2016
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has recorded close to 200 drug-related deaths since President Rodrigo Duterte won in the May elections and PNP’s top cop, Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, considers the rising number of killings as an “accomplishment.”
Based on the latest data from the PNP’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM), 192 individuals were killed in drug operations from May 10 until July 10.
The highest number of deaths was recorded by the Calabarzon Police Regional Office (PRO-4A) with 57 suspects killed. At second was the Central Luzon Police Regional Office (PRO-3) with 46 deaths.
Third highest drug-related deaths came from Metro Manila with 21 persons killed in police operations in two months.
“We consider that as an accomplishment kapag legitimate police operations ‘yan (if these are legitimate police operations),” Dela Rosa said in an interview at the Association of Firearms and Ammunition Dealers (AFAD) gun show at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City on Thursday.
Maintaining that the killings of the police were legitimate, Dela Rosa blamed the drug suspects killed for resisting arrest.
“Pero kung titigan ko ang mga taong namamatay, naaawa ako, naalarma ako dahil dapat hindi sila mamamatay kung hindi sila lumalaban o hindi sila nai-involve sa drug business na ‘yan so I’m encouraging them to stop, to surrender eh ilang beses na sinasabi ‘yan. Eh matigas talaga ulo lumalaban pa,” he said.
(But when I look at the people who died, I pity them and I get alarmed because they shouldn’t have died if only they did not resist [arrest] or they were not involved in the drug business so I’m encouraging them to stop, to surrender as we have long been saying. But they don’t heed our call, instead they fight back.)
Dela Rosa said he would rather have the criminals dead than his men.
“Gusto niyo ba pulis ang mamamatay? I would rather that yung mga criminal mamatay kaysa mga pulis (Do you want the policemen to be killed? I would rather that the criminals die instead of the police),” he added.
The DIDM also recorded 8,110 arrested suspects while 35,276 drug users and pushers have surrendered from May 10 until July 10./rga
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