Director General Ronald dela Rosa, PNP chief ( File photo by AARON FAVILA / AP)
Police will take advantage of the martial law to arrest politicians involved in illegal drugs and those keeping loose firearms in Mindanao, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has said.
“Panahon na ito. Tsansa na natin ito para habulin at hulihin itong mga narcopoliticians (This is our chance to arrest narcopoliticians there),” Dela Rosa said in a radio interview.
The police chief said authorities will specifically target “narcopoliticians,” or local government officials involved in drugs, who are funding the Maute terror group.
President Duterte also suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus when he placed the entire Mindanao under martial law in the wake of the attack by the group in Marawi City.
“Suspended naman ang writ of habeas corpus pati doon sa Marawi so kapag nandyan na, nakita natin ito sila na may ebidensya, may armas. Dadamputin natin, huhulihin (The writ of habeas corpus is suspended even in Marawi so if we see them and there’s evidence, there are firearms, we will seize them),” he said.
But Dela Rosa assured that before arresting narcopoliticians, the police will also make sure that they have solid evidence to prove the suspects’ involvement in drugs and not rely on mere hearsay.
“Yung pag-aresto (Before making the arrest), we have to still follow rules of court. Kailangan mayroon rin tayong ebidensya at mag-poprosper yung kaso sa korte (We must have evidence that will stand in court),” Dela Rosa said.
“Hindi lang yan porke meron tayong intelligence report na itong si mayor ganito or ex-mayor ganito ay nagsusuporta sa Maute; pipickupin na natin at ikulong (Not just because we have an intelligence report that this mayor or this ex-mayor is supporting the Maute group; we will arrest them and put them in jail),” he said.
Dela Rosa said some of the narcopoliticians might have fled Mindanao for Manila to elude arrest.
“Kasama yan sa pinaghahanap natin ngayon dito. Baka nandyan lang sa mga hotel sa Manila nakabillet itong mga narcopoliticians na ito (They’re among those being hunted. Perhaps they are just billeted in some hotels in Manila),” he said.
Dela Rosa visited the troops in the strife-torn city on Tuesday.
There are 587 police personnel from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) regional police, Lanao del Sur police, Special Action Force (SAF), Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) and augmentation forces from different regions deployed in Marawi City. /ac
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