PNP to seek for more time to submit ‘Tokhang’ report

Tokhang Resumption- Members of the Manila Police District station1 invites several men on the drug watchlist to to their local barangays for questioning, during the resumption of Tokhang, in Bgy. 122 Bukid Tondo , Manila . INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

The Philippine National Police (PNP) may ask for more time to comply with the Supreme Court’s (SC) order to submit all reports on the deaths of thousands of suspects in the government’s campaign against illegal drugs, its spokesperson said Wednesday.

PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. John Bulalacao said that the police may have a hard time consolidating the “sheer number of documents” related to the anti-drug campaign.

“[The 15-day time frame] is one of the problems we are facing now considering the sheer number of documents to be produced not only by the national headquarters but also the regional offices,” Bulalacao said in a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

“And considering the geographical setup ng Philippines, we may have a hard time if we will be directed to comply within 15 days from the receipt of the resolution,” he added.

Bulalacao said that the PNP may ask the Solicitor General to request the SC for an extension to submit all the documents but was still unsure on how many weeks they would ask for.

Voting unanimously, 12 SC justices junked on Tuesday Solicitor General Jose Calida’s appeal to rescind its Dec. 5, 2017, order requiring the submission of the official PNP reports on the killings of drug suspects during the implementation of “Oplan Tokhang” from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2017.

The High Court ordered the PNP to submit the required reports within 15 days upon receipt of the resolution.

Malacañang had said that the government would comply with the SC order.

READ: Gov’t to comply with SC order on submission of drug war report

PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. John Bulalacao (Photo by Noy Morcoso/Inquirer.net)

Bulalacao said that the PNP had already submitted an initial set of documents to the Solicitor General.

“But up to now hindi pa nakukumpleto ng mga subordinate units so it will depend on the assessment of the DIDM [Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management] and the other concerned offices of the Philippine National Police on how fast we will be able to gather all these, collate all these documents,” he said.

The spokesperson said that the PNP’s oversight committee on the anti-drug campaign may take up the matter during its meeting on Thursday. /jpv