Bato: Police have nothing to do with vigilante killings
With his hands raised, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Dir. Gen. Ronald “Bato” De la Rosa said the police have nothing to do with the rising number of vigilante deaths in the country amid the government’s war on drugs, which has resulted in the deaths of almost 2,000 drug suspects.
Asked by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV during his interpellation if the PNP is behind the vigilante-style killing of suspected drug users and pushers, De la Rosa said and raised his hands: “Wala talaga kaming kinalaman dyan (We have nothing to do with it).”
Trillanes then asked, “Since you have nothing to do with it, why is it happening? Why don’t you relieve your regional or district directors if they fail to stop these killings?”
The PNP chief said he had already ordered police commanders to fast-track the investigation on extrajudicial killing victims.
But he also explained that he cannot simply threaten police commanders and remove them from their posts for failing to prevent the killings because it would only cause his men to lose their concentration on the drug war.
“‘Yung aking mga tao right now ay busy-ng busy sa war on drugs. ‘Yung aming kampanya, nasa amin momentum kaya ayaw kong sabihin sa kanila na re-relieve ko kayo dahil ‘yung deaths under investigation hindi niyo nabigyan ng tuldok o nahinto,” De la Rosa said.
(My personnel right now are very busy with the war on drugs. The momentum is with us in our campaign so I don’t want to tell them that I’m going to relieve them for failing to stop the deaths under investigation [in their areas].)
“Sa other side, nakikita nila ’yung result ng campaign against drugs so unfair sa commanders that right there and then, tatanggalin sila dahil sa deaths under investigation tapos nakikita nila na natutuwa ang mga tao, safe na sa kanilang mga tahanan at kalsada. (Pero) iba-balance ko po, your honor,” the police chief added.
(On the other side, they are seeing the results of the campaign against drugs so it would be unfair for the commanders that right there and then, they would be removed from their posts because of deaths under investigation yet they see that people are happy because they are safe in their own homes and on the streets. But I will balance it, your honor)
De la Rosa is expected to present the PNP’s data on extrajudicial killings on the second day of the Senate committee of justice and human rights’ inquiry on the issue on Tuesday./rga
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