Albayalde: PNP will cooperate in all probes into war on drugs killings

Incoming Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Dir. Oscar Albayalde assured the public on Friday that the national police will fully cooperate with all investigations looking into killings linked to the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

These probes include the one being done by the Supreme Court (SC), which has ordered the PNP to submit all its case files on the conduct of the “Oplan Tokhang” crackdown, the probe by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and also that of the PNP’s Internal Affairs Service (IAS).

“We will continue all with the investigations, all of the police operations will be investigated by our IAS, and of course the Commission on Human Rights. We will cooperate fully with the investigations initiated by other government agencies,” Albayalde said in a video conference with reporters at Camp Crame.

He added that the PNP will also be complying with the High Court’s order as soon as all documents have been prepared by concerned police units.

Albayalde meanwhile said he could not assure a bloodless anti-illegal drug campaign as there are drug suspects who would resist arrest. He however vowed that he would investigate incidents of police operations that end in the deaths of suspects.

“And of course, hindi naman natin maipapangako na talagang no blood itong kampanya sa ilegal na droga dahil talagang nakikita naman natin na meron talagang mga lumalaban,” he said.

(And of course, we cannot promise that this anti-illegal drug campaign will be bloodless because we have seen that there really are suspects who will fight back.)

“At yun naman, sinasabi nga natin, kung may mga casualties sa mga police operations ay iimbestigahan natin yan,” Albayalde added.

(And we have said that if there are casualties in police operations, we will investigate it.)

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday announced the appointment of Albayalde as the incoming PNP chief. He currently heads the PNP’s National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

READ: Duterte says Albayalde will be next PNP chief

Albayalde said that the PNP under his helm would observe “continuity” and sustain the programs started by his predecessor and Philippine Military Academy batchmate, police chief Dir. Gen. Ronald Dela Rosa.   / muf