PNP assures justice for kin of drug war casualties

In this picture taken on July 8, 2016, police officers investigate the dead body of an alleged drug dealer (R), his face covered with packing tape and a placard reading “I’m a pusher”, on a street in Manila. / AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELIS

The Philippine National Police (PNP) assured that the investigation on the thousands of deaths in the drug war will continue amid criticisms against the government for failing to protect the lives of Filipinos.

“That is why all these homicide incidents, whether drug-related or not drug-related, we are continuing our own investigation,” PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said in a media briefing at Camp Crame on Tuesday.

This was the PNP’s response to Senator Grace Poe’s call to the Duterte administration and the police particularly regarding the drug war.

“Whether seven thousand or two thousand, or seven or two; whether it’s called EJK (extrajudicial killing) or collateral damage, law enforcement must never lose sight of justice and humanity,” Poe said in a statement earlier.

The PNP on Monday released statistics of deaths since the drug war started in July, correcting Vice President Leni Robredo and the media that not all 7,000 persons died because of the drug campaign.

READ: PNP says media sensationalized figures of drug kills

Carlos said that there are already cases that have been resolved. In the presentation of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management on Monday, it said that from July 1, 2016 to March 24, 2017, there were a total of 6,011 killings or “homicides” in the country; 1,398 were confirmed to be drug-related while 828 were not drug related. The remaining 3,785 are still under investigation.

Out of 3,785, 1,427 had been resolved and 4,584 were still for “case buildup.”

“Tumatakbo ‘yung imbestigasyon sa mga insidente na pagpatay na ito at mas nakakarami, hindi konektado sa kampanya laban sa iligal na droga,’ he said.

(The investigation on these incidents of killing is still running and most of them are not connected to the campaign against illegal drugs.)

Aside from the 6,011 homicides, there were 2,615 drug suspects killed in anti-drug operations of the police. JE/rga