Bato asks: Ever heard of rape-slay case at height of PNP’s war on drugs?

PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa INQUIRER.net / NOY MORCOSO

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Dir. Gen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Friday expressed alarm over the recent crime wave particularly rape-slay cases that have spiked following the pullout of the police from the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

“Tingnan niyo naman, malakas yung ating war on drugs, meron ba kayong nabalitaan na ganitong kasensational na rape case?” Dela Rosa said in a press conference in Camp Crame in Quezon City.

(When our war on drugs was strong, have you ever heard of any sensational rape case like this one?)

Dela Rosa was particularly referring to the cases of bank employee Mabel Cama, who was a victim of rape-slay in Pasig City, and young couple James Carl de Guzman and Glory Mary Carbonell, who was believed to be raped before being murdered.

Cama was at their doorsteps texting her parents to open the front door for her on the night she arrived home but was eventually snatched, raped, killed and her body set on fire by several men.

READ: Victim of druggies? Bank employee raped, killed, her body set on fire

De Guzman and Carbonell, meanwhile, were found dead in separate towns in Bataan with high indications that Carbonell was sexually abused before being killed.

Dela Rosa said that during the first six months of the government’s war on drugs, cases of rape “dramatically and significantly” declined.

He could only took note of the San Juan del Monte massacre case in Bulacan, wherein a family—a woman, her daughter, and three grandchildren—perished in a home invasion. The woman was raped by the man who was allegedly high on drugs while committing the crime.

“Napakalaki ang posibilidad ng association ng drug problem at saka ng rape cases. Definitely dahil walang matinong tao na mang-rape, patayin ang babae at sunugin pa ang biktima kung matino yung utak mo, kung hindi ka lango sa drugs, hindi ka drug addict. Hindi ba?” Dela Rosa said.

(There is a huge possibility of the link between the drug problem and rape cases. Definitely, because there is no person in his right mind would rape and kill a woman, and set her in flames, if you are in your right mind, if you are not high in drugs, if you are not an addict. Right?)

“Ayoko mag-insinuate sa publiko na iyan ang dahilan but that is a glaring, glaring reality. That’s a fact that is happening. Bumaba ng husto yung rape cases during our war on drugs, ngayon na nawala tayo sa war on drugs biglang tumaas na naman,” he added.

(I don’t want to insinuate to the public that that is the reason but that is a glaring, glaring reality. That’s a fact that is happening. Rape cases significantly declined during the height of our war on drugs, but now that we’re no longer in the campaign, it increased again.)

Dela Rosa said that criminals are back to their old habits now that the PNP is no longer in-charge of the drug war.

After drawing criticisms for the consecutive killing of teens under the deadly anti-illegal drug crackdown, President Rodrigo Duterte in October ordered the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to solely carry out the campaign.

Dela Rosa, however, could not say if Duterte would allow the PNP to lead the campaign again following the series of rape-slay cases. /jpv

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