Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles said on Sunday he expects the Philippine National Police (PNP) to justify its P900 million request for fund by saying police abuses, such as the 17-year-old boy’s killing, should not hinder the campaign to eradicate drugs.
“Syempre ‘yong mga nag-abuso ay mananagot but the abuses ng cops na ito, ng mga pulis na nang abuso, should not hinder the campaign of the government to eradicate drugs in the streets. So ina-anticipate ko na ganon ang magiging defense (ng PNP),” Nograles, who is also the chair of House appropriations panel, said over DZBB.
Kian delos Santos, a grade 11 student, was shot dead during a supposed drug bust in Caloocan City on Wednesday.
Contrary to policemen’s claims that Delos Santos “resisted” arrest, several witnesses and a closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed that he was mauled by policemen, given a gun and told to run before he was shot dead.
The PNP had requested a P900-million budget for Oplan Double Barrel Reloaded, the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.
READ: Kian’s killing puts P900-M budget for drug war in limbo
Nograles said he also expects the issue to be raised during the plenary discussion of the budget hearing.
“Pero ini-expect ko pagdating sa plenaryo, it might come out as an issue. Pag-uusapan naman natin doon itong mga panawagan na bawasan ang pondo ng PNP,” the Davao representative said. “So ayokong pangunahan kung ano ang pag-uusapan namin sa plenary.”
Nograles also pointed out that the problem on illegal drug trade could worsen if President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign would be stopped.
“Kasi otherwise, ang ano naman dito, kung hindi natin ipursige ‘yong anti-drugs campaign ni Presidente, the worst thing that can happen is syempre lumaganap na naman ang iligal na droga sa bansa. But that’s not to say we do not give justice to the victims ng abuses ng ating mga kapulisan,” said Nograles.
“Wherever it leads…if it leads to imprisonment and parusahan itong mga abusive cops na to, you have to apply the law equally. Whether pulis ka man o hindi ka pulis, sibilyan ka man, kailangan patas ang laban dito,” he added. JE