2 cops killed in a day? PNP can’t tell if Duterte is correct

Senior Supt. Wilfredo Cayat of the PNP’s Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM) in a press briefing at Camp Crame. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net

Philippine National Police (PNP) officials could neither confirm nor deny the accuracy of President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement on losing an average of two policemen daily since waging his war on drugs in July.

Justifying the rising number of fatalities in the drug war, the President had repeatedly mentioned in his speeches that at least two policemen die every day while fighting drug suspects. That would mean the death toll in the police’s side would have reached more than 100.

The source of Duterte’s count, however, could not be determined.

If it was based on PNP data alone, Duterte’s number would be inaccurate.

Latest statistics from the PNP showed that from July 1 to Nov. 8, only 16 policemen had died and 37 had been wounded since the “Oplan Double Barrel” antidrug campaign started.

Eight cops had died and 34 had been wounded in drug-related operations, while 8 had died and 13 had been hurt in non-drug related police operations.

PNP’s Operations head Chief Supt. Camilo Cascolan, in a press briefing at Camp Crame, said the President might have included those killed in outside police operations or those who were killed by their enemies to retaliate.

“Maybe he was not just referring to the deaths in the drug war. It’s not only in drug operations but those who were killed for retaliation among cops,” Cascolan said.

Meanwhile, Senior Supt. Wilfredo Cayat of the PNP’s Directorate for Personnel Records and Management (DPRM) said President Duterte might have included the casualties on the side of the military.

Cayat said maybe Duterte did not mean cops were dying when he said he had been “losing” two policemen daily.

“We don’t have any data that could prove that, pero napag-usapan sa meeting with other agencies na baka included din ’yung Armed Forces kasi hindi naman sinabi niya doon, ‘I’m losing at least two …’ Hindi naman niya sinabi na namatay, so sa amin as of now ’yan ang record, tapos ’yung data ni Presidente maybe kasama ang Army,” he explained./rga