Drug busts with deaths are ‘rights’ compliant – Albayalde

Director General Oscar Albayalde. (File photo by JAM STA. ROSA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Most police operations against illegal drugs during which suspects are killed are “human rights” compliant, Director General Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), reiterated on Saturday.

Albayalde made the statement after the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) asked the PNP for reports that would show that most of the drug war deaths were being investigated.

“May regular reports tayo sa CHR. I don’t know kung ano pa. We have our Human Rights Office here that is in constant coordination with CHR. Ano pa ang gusto nila makita sa atin?” Albayalde told reporters after the visit of Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena to Camp Crame in Quezon City.

[We send regular reports to the CHR. I don’t know what else. We have our Human Rights Office here that is in constant coordination with CHR. What else do they want to see from us?”

Albayalde noted that not all police operations were “perfect,” saying cases of human rights violations had been filed against some police officers.

“Ibig sabihin the 98 percent were all investigated,” he said. “That’s why may sinabi na hindi perfect dahil we filed cases of human rights against our own personnel. Remember, merong 438 personnel that we filed HR violations against our own personnel. Hindi natin sinabi na all of it are perfect operations.”

[That means 98 percent of the cases were all investigated. That why they say we’re not perfect — because we filed case of human rights violations against our own personnel. Remember, there are 438 personnel that we filed human rights violations. We’re not saying that all of it are perfect operations.]

Albayalde also debunked allegations that there were no investigations on drug war deaths, saying the PNP’s Internal Affairs Service (IAS), an independent body, was probing the killings.

“So hindi po totoo na kapag may nangyari ay hindi ini-imbestigahan ng IAS. It’s an independent body although it’s under the PNP. At most of the personnel ay PNP personnel. Meron silang mga sariling abogado,” he said. “Kung ayaw nila maniwala sa 98 percent compliance, they should ask the IAS. It’s because the IAS ang nagcoconduct ng motu propio investigation tuwing may police operations, lalo na pag may namamatay.”

[So it’s not true that when something happens the IAS doesn’t investigate it. It’s an independent body although it’s under the PNP. And most of the personnel are PNP personnel. But they have their own lawyer. If they don’t want to believe that we have 98 percent compliance, they should ask the IAS. It’s because the it’s the IAS that’s conducting a motu propio investigation every time there are police operations, especially when somebody dies.]

According records from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, 4,999 people have been killed in anti-drug operations from July 2016 to October 2018.

READ: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1057464/pdea-almost-5000-killed-in-dutertes-war-on-drugs-as-of-oct-2018#ixzz5d2x7UVmy