PDEA welcomes PNP return to war vs drugs

Photo by Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

With its tiny force and small budget, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Thursday welcomed President Duterte’s plan to return the main responsibility for waging his war on drugs to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

“It has been the desire of PDEA that (the) PNP will return in the fight against illegal drugs,” said PDEA director general Aaron Aquino.

“PDEA has repeatedly admitted that it is undermanned, underbudgeted and underequipped, hence, the need for other law enforcement agencies particularly the PNP,” Aquino said.

Speaking to soldiers at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija province on Wednesday, Mr. Duterte said he gave the sole authority of leading the antidrug campaign to PDEA last month “just to parry” criticisms of the bloody drug war under the police.

“Whether I like it or not,” he said, “I have to return that power to the police.”

Du30’s concern

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Thursday reiterated Mr. Duterte’s concern, expressed last week, that the drug problem could intensify and gains might be lost with the PNP sidelined.

Roque said there was a “strong likelihood” that the President would withdraw his order to the PNP to hand over leadership in the war on drugs to PDEA.

“A decision will soon be made,” Roque told reporters. “That’s the President’s call. If he thinks it must be returned then it must be. The PDEA has been given enough time.”

With only 1,041 field operatives and a P1.44-billion budget, PDEA reported that it conducted 1,341 operations nationwide from Oct. 10 to Nov. 10, resulting in the arrest of about 400 drug personalities.

PDEA operatives also seized P53.83 million worth of narcotics, including 6.16 kilos of “shabu” (crystal meth), with only one drug suspect killed during that period, according to Aquino.

In comparison, close to 4,000 mostly urban poor residents have been killed by the police in antidrug operations since last year.

Self-defense

Human rights groups and political opponents say executions of drug users and smalltime peddlers have been widespread, but police insist the killings were in self-defense against those who violently resisted.

Police cite 117,000 arrests as proof that their policy is to preserve life. They also deny links to at least 2,000 mysterious street killings of suspected drug offenders.

Roque said Duterte knew the police had flaws and would not tolerate abuses, but he still believed in them.

PNP deputy spokesperson Supt. Vimellee Madrid said the police was “always ready to embrace any task given by our Chief Executive.”

“There are many recommendations to avoid unfortunate incidents,” Madrid added, referring to police abuses including those which resulted in deaths on drug raids.

Amid international concern over the staggering death toll and several killings of youngsters, Mr. Duterte last month suspended police antinarcotics operations for a second time and put PDEA in charge.

He first ordered the police to step aside in January, describing them as “corrupt to the core” and instructing PDEA to lead, after antinarcotics officers kidnapped and murdered a South Korean businessman.

Public opposition

In October, he announced the PDEA would again take the helm in the face of mounting public opposition, including street protests triggered by the murder of three teenagers—allegedly by police officers.

His latest pronouncement to again let the PNP take over from PDEA follows a regional summit in Manila this month where US President Donald Trump and most other world leaders were silent on allegations of extrajudicial killings in the drug war. —WITH REPORTS FROM AFP