Roque: PNP probes ‘summary execution’ of 3 drug suspects in Reuters report

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. (PRESIDENTIAL FILE PHOTO)

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is looking into the reported summary execution of three drug suspects in Tondo, Manila, a Palace official said on Tuesday, reiterating that President Rodrigo Duterte does not tolerate any form of abuse by the police.

“I assure you that the authorities are looking into this matter, and in the process also of authenticating the video. I assure you that the President will not tolerate any abuses that will be committed by some personnel of the [Philippine National Police],” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing.

Roque was reacting to a Reuters report claiming that the three men tagged as drug personalities were summarily executed in a police operation in Tondo, Manila on October 11, or a day before Duterte transferred the implementation of the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign from the PNP to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

“Again, the Palace position is we do not tolerate police violence, brutality or killing and of course, the latest pronouncement in this regard is still the Arnaiz case as well as the Kian case, that the President will not tolerate murders being committed by the PNP but we are looking into this because this is very new. I think it only came out yesterday,” Roque added.

The report, published on Monday, showed chilling security camera footages of the midday police operation in Barangay (village) 19 in Tondo, Manila. The videos showed the bodies of the victims identified as Rolando Campo, 60; Sherwin Bitas, 34; and Ronnie Cerbito, 18, being dragged out of a shanty about 30 minutes after plain-clothed anti-illegal drug operatives arrived in the area.

However, Reuters said the police report had clearly stated that the men fought back against the authorities, prompting them to shoot and kill the suspects.     /kga