De la Rosa dares foreign media: Name cops saying PNP sanctions EJKs
Director General Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, PNP chief (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Director General Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), dismissed on Friday reports claiming that the police were behind the vigilante killings in President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war as mere “creation of foreign media.”
De la Rosa was talking about the persistent reports from international media agencies, the latest coming from Reuters, quoting anonymous police officers about the PNP sanctioning the drug killings and offering cash rewards to police officers to execute suspected drug addict and pushers.
Unless the media could identify the cops they had been quoting, De la Rosa said he would only see the reports as mere fabrications.
“Hangga’t hjndi niyo hinaharap sa akin ‘yan, creation ng media ‘yan,” Dela Rosa said in an ambush interview on Friday.
Later in the interview, De la Rosa clarified to reporters that he was only referring to the foreign media.
“Kayo ang nagsabi niyan. So prove niyo na nandyan ‘yung mga tao, existing ‘yung mga tao,” he said. “Palutangin niyo, complete name, at mag-usap kami harap-harapan. Kung ano ‘yung mga issues nila, sasagutin ko.”
(“You’re the ones who said that. So prove that the people are there, that they exist. Let them come forward, with complete names, and we will talk face to face. Whatever their issues are, I will answer them.”)
De la Rosa has repeatedly denied that the PNP orders its men to kill targets arbitrarily.
Since the drug war started in July 2016, several police officers have revealed anonymously in reports from International news agencies that some police officers were behind the thousands of drug killings, which the PNP blamed on vigilantes.
Last Tuesday (April 18), Reuters reported the disclosure of an anonymous retired intelligence cop and another senior police commander that the PNP had been orchestrating drug killings, making them appear as if these were carried out by vigilantes.
They said the PNP also encouraged operatives to plant guns and evidence at the crime scene to pin down drug suspects.
The retired official also wrote a 26-page report titled “The State-Sponsored Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines.” The document has been shared with the leaders of Catholic Church and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
The police chief then urged the cops to face him.
“Magpakilala ka. Magpakita ka,” he said.
“You give us the burden of defending ourselves while you are the ones accusing us,” De la Rosa said. “The burden of proof should with the accuser, not with the accused.” /atm
