First 6 months of ‘Tokhang’: 1M surrenderers, more than 2,000 dead

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has knocked on the doors of more than 6 million houses, and convinced more than 1 million drug users and pushers to surrender in the first six months of the implementation of “Oplan Tokhang.” The operation, however, also left more than 2,000 dead, a ranking police official said on Wednesday.

Oplan Tokhang, which started in Davao City and has since gone national, is a scheme implemented by police to literally knock on the doors of drug suspects and convince them to surrender as part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown on illegal drug use.

In an interview over Radyo Inquirer, PNP spokesperson senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said that the PNP has already arrested over 45,000 suspects in its “Operation Double Barrel,” the agency’s anti-illegal drug campaign, and said that more than 2,000 were killed in the campaign’s operations.

READ: THE KILL LIST

He said that they are also probing the illegal drug connections of deaths under investigation (DUIs), and clarified that these are not automatically considered as extrajudicial killings or summary executions.

He added that 195 cops who tested positive for illegal drug use were already under summary dismissal proceedings starting Tuesday.

“Definitely sumasailalim na po sila ng summary dismissal proceedings and we’re just making sure na hindi na makabalik. Kasi kapag binilisan po natin ito, pag-alis po o nagbago ng lider, nakakabalik pa po sa organisasyon, kaya po dapat ay permanently dismissed, para hindi na po makabalik sa serbisyo,” he said.

(They are definitely going through summary dismissal proceedings; we’re just making sure that they will not be able to return to the service. Because if we do this haphazardly, once there is a change in leadership, these rogue cops are able to get back to the organization, so they have to be permanently dismissed.)

READ: Over P3.7B worth of illegal drugs seized in six months – PNP

He said that 30 “ninja cops” or personnel who resell illegal drugs seized from operations have been sacked, while 35 more names—all from the Negros region—have been added on the list.

“(The 35 cops) will go under summary dismissal proceedings, administrative case to determine their participation and the violation (of rules and) regulation,” he said.

PNP has reached 70% percent of its target in the war on drugs during the first six months of Duterte’s term.

Duterte fell short in his campaign promise to rid the Philippines of its drug problems and has since asked for an extension. On Saturday, he said he was mulling placing the country under martial law if the drug problem goes on to become “virulent.” IDL