Palace mum on report PNP using hospitals to conceal drug killings

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

Malacañang on Saturday refused to comment on a media report that police have been using hospitals to alter evidence of drug killings and hide alleged execution of drug suspects.

A Reuters report said police have been “sending victims to hospitals to avoid crime scene investigations and media attention that might show they were executing drug suspects.”

“The PNP (Philippine National Police) has already answered this matter and we defer to their answer,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in an interview over state-run Radyo Pilipinas.

In a television interview on ABS-CBN News Channel, PNP Chief Gen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa dismissed the Reuters report, saying police were trying to save the victims’ lives.

Dela Rosa said police were not medically qualified to determine whether a victim was dead or alive so the victim would be sent to a hospital.

“What do you want, we let the wounded die? You don’t want us to rescue his life?” he said.

No comment

During the interview, Abella was asked if the police reportedly covering up killings in the name of President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war would be covered by the chief executive’s promise to protect law enforcers and make sure they won’t go to jail.

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“We will not make any comments regarding that matter. We will defer to the answer of Gen. Bato,” he said.

From July 1, 2016 to June 6, 2017, Abella, citing government data, said 1, 304,795 drug personalities have surrendered while police have seized 2, 340.74 kilos of shabu with a street value of P12.10 billion. IDL