4 killed on day war on drugs halted, says PNP

POLICE PURGE Director General Ronald dela Rosa, Philippine National Police chief, admits a breakdown in police discipline and says he was taking drastic action against policemen involved in crimes during a news conference in Camp Crame in Quezon City. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

There were four more drug suspects killed in police operations since the Philippine National Police (PNP) halted its war against illegal drugs on Monday, latest data from the PNP showed.

PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday announced that all antinarcotics operations will be temporarily suspended while the PNP is focusing on weeding out bad eggs in the organization following the kidnapping-murder of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo committed by a group of rogue policemen.

But the latest tally of “Project Double Barrel Alpha” from the PNP’s national operations center (NOC) showed that since Monday, four more persons died in anti-drug operations.

Since July 1, 2016 until January 30, the PNP recorded that 2,551 drug suspects were killed in a total of 43,497 “tokhang” operations. On January 31, Tuesday, the number of suspects killed went up to 2,555 in a total of 43,593 operations.

The PNP, however, is unsure whether the four additional deaths happened overnight or these came from belated reports that reached the NOC.

“We will see the reason why there were still individuals killed in the campaign against drugs. The chief’s order was given (on Monday) morning so baka ongoing na ‘yong police operation when the announcement was made, hindi na nila mabawi (perhaps the police operation was ongoing when the announcement was made and they cannot abort the operation),” PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos told reporters at Camp Crame on Tuesday.

Night shift reporters, however, covering the killings since President Duterte’s drug war started in July observed that fewer persons, if not zero, were killed overnight. In the past months, reports of drug suspects being killed in the country sometimes went as high as 15 in one night.

Sought for comment, PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, in an ambush interview, maintained that the police were not behind the killings.

Asked to explain the decline in the death toll, he said: “Ibig sabihin, nag-stop na mga vigilantes sa kanilang gawain dahil kapag ngayon tuloy tuloy sila sa ginagawa nila, pumapatay sila wherein nag-declare na ako na stop our anti-drugs operations, mayroon pa ring namamatay na gano’n, eh ‘di madali na silang habulin at ma-identify kasi sino pang gumagawa niyan.”

(This means vigilante groups have backed off because if they continue they might get caught and exposed.)

Also on Tuesday, the PNP officially deactivated the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group and all anti-illegal drug units and task groups in different police districts and stations nationwide.

Upon the orders of President Duterte, all drug-related operations will temporarily be conducted solely by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency./ac/rga/ac