THE WAR on drugs has reached unprecedented viciousness as shown by the killings of suspects, like this man whose body is being carried by funeral workers in Dagupan City. It has also brought to the fore allegations of involvement of local officials, including three Lanao del Sur mayors now being hunted. RAY B. ZAMBRANO/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON
Since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office more than a month ago, cases of extrajudicial killings have continued to rise sharply but the police have not resolved even a single case of vigilante-style execution in the country.
A Philippine National Police’s Directorate for Investigative and Detective Management (DIDM) official has admitted that the police have yet to solve the cases involving the deaths of over 500 individuals who died amid the government’s ongoing war against drugs.
“As of now, our records show that none of the cases has been resolved. We have leads for some but not all,” Senior Supt. Fausto Manzanilla Jr. said in a press briefing at Camp Crame.
“So far, (based on the) the data submitted to us, those deaths are still under investigation, meaning, there’s no definite result yet,” he added.
READ: Drug killings alarm Palace
Manzanilla stressed that every time cases of summary killings are reported in a certain area, it is the police’s duty to immediately conduct an investigation.
However, he said: “Investigation is an arduous task wherein we cannot immediately come up with a result in just a short span of time. Our investigation should be evidence-based when it comes to identifying the real perpetrator of a particular crime.”
Manzanilla also cited some factors causing the delay. In some cases, he said police units in the station-level are having difficulties identifying the victims, thus prolonging the investigation.
“We are also trying to identify the means of commission, whether it involves the use of firearms. Some were found with stab wounds and gun wounds. Aside from that, we are also trying to segregate who among the victims are suspected drug pushers and whose deaths are not related to drugs. That is why it is taking lower police units some time to come up with the results, especially when there are no witnesses,” he explained.
As of August 11, the Inquirer’s Kill List counted 601 drug-related deaths while the PNP recorded 550 drug suspects killed.
READ: THE KILL LIST
Asked if the police should be bothered with the rising number of summary killings, he said: “Well for me, I don’t find it frustrating. For me, it is challenging, it is where the skill of the investigator could be used fully.” IDL/rga