PNP Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa during the press briefing on Wednesday Nov. 2, 2016 at the PNP National Headquarters. NOY MORCOSO/INQUIRER.net
No guns? No problem. Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Wednesday said the police were ready to fight drug lords and criminals even with their bare hands.
The police chief issued this statement following reports the US state department had scuttled the rifles deal with the PNP because of human rights violations in the Philippines amid the Duterte administration’s war against drugs.
READ: US stops sale of assault rifles to PNP
The US had been critical of President Rodrigo Duterte’s ruthless method of eliminating drugs in the country, with more than 3,700 persons dead in the drug war.
Maintaining that the police were not affected with the scrapping of the arms deal, Dela Rosa said: “‘Wag kayong mag-alala. Hindi ‘yan makakaapekto. Ang mga kapulisan niyo lalaban kahit suntukan, kung walang baril walang bala.”
“P****, maski makipagsuntukan na kami sa mga drug lord na ‘yan kung kailangan, basta lang matapos natin ang gyera sa droga,” Dela Rosa said in an interview with radio dzBB.
The rifles to be purchased from the US supplier would be used for counterterrorism and internal security operations anyway, said Dela Rosa.
But he said the police would be more effective if they would be issued quality firearms.
“Mas maging epektibo sana tayo kung meron tayong armas. Kung walang armas mas less effective tayo pero ‘wag kayo mag-alala, walang mangyaring malaking terrorist attack sa atin hanggang hindi pa tayo nakakabili ng maraming armas,” Dela Rosa said.
“Mayroom pa rin naman tayong mga lumang baril. ‘Yung mga luma nating baril puputok pa rin at tatama pa rin naman,” he added.
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