PNP officially terminates Oplan Tokhang

EXTRACTION AT ADDITION The Mandaluyong City police killed three suspects and arrested three others in antidrug operations conducted from Monday night to Tuesday afternoon in the slums of Barangay Addition Hills, where residents could only watch in shock. Official said at least 200 drug users from the village alone had surrendered to the police under the “Oplan Tokhang” campaign. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / LYN RILLON

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has formally ordered the termination of Oplan Tokhang, which was launched on July 1, 2o16,  after Malacañang transferred all the anti-drugs operations to the jurisdiction of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

READ: Duterte orders PDEA to solely undertake all anti-drugs ops

“Implementation of Project Double Barrel and Oplan Tokhang are suspended immediately,” PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Dionardo Carlos said Thursday.

The Oplan Double Barrel or Tokhang is the PNP’s controversial campaign against illegal drugs, which led to thousands of deaths of suspected drug users and peddlers.

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered PDEA to become the sole agency tasked to carry out the war on drugs after independent surveyed showed declines in his satisfaction and trust ratings because of the bloody campaign.

The PNP immediately said after the President’s directive that it will now focus on anti-criminality operations, mostly on riding-in-tandem shooters, as well as internal security operations, and anti-terrorism.

Its contribution to the drug war will now be limited to forwarding of intelligence information to PDEA, the PNP official said. /jpv

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