Eleazar: Harassment, abuse, cover-up ‘never been the policy’ of PNP

FILE PHOTO: PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar. INQUIRER/EDWIN BACASMAS

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said it has “never been the policy” of the police force to harass and abuse, and to cover up killings and wrongdoings in the Duterte administration’s bloody war against illegal drugs.

PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar in a statement denied the claims of international rights watchdog Investigate PH and emphasized that thousands of police officers have been disciplined and dismissed due to various cases of “abuse of power.”

“Hindi kailanman naging polisiya ng PNP ang panggigipit at pang-aabuso sa mga mahihirap nating kababayan at lalong lalo na ang pagtatakip ng mga kamalian sa aming hanay,” said PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar in a statement.

(It has never been the policy of the PNP to harass and abuse our poor fellowmen and especially to cover up misconduct in our ranks.)

“Batid namin ang mga alegasyong ito subalit ipinapaalam din namin sa ating mga kababayan na mahigit 18,000 na ang naparusahang pulis sa nakalipas na limang taon at kabilang dito ang pagtanggal sa serbisyo ng mahigit 5,000 sa aming hanay dahil sa iba’t-ibang kaso ng pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan,” he added.

(We are aware of these allegations but we also inform our fellowmen that more than 18,000 police officers have been disciplined in the past five years and this includes the dismissal of more than 5,000 from our ranks due to different cases of abuse of power.)

Investigate PH’s Second Report released recently indicated that the country’s security forces, notably PNP, have continued “perpetrating extrajudicial killings” and “obstructing justice” in relation to the justice department’s probe of the so-called drug war.

READ: PNP continues to cover up drug war killings, obstructing justice — int’l rights group

It also alleged that the PNP resort to intimidating families of victims and potential witnesses and obstructing the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) review of most killings.

But Eleazar said he is wary of the allegations’ authenticity, reminding that the PNP also had casualties in the war on drugs.

“Sa paulit-ulit na paglutang ng mga alegasyong ito, hindi rin maipagkakait sa amin na pagdudahan kung ilan sa mga ito ang totoo lalo pa’t sa ilang imbestigasyon na akin mismong ipinag-utos, kabilang na ang nangyari sa Laguna noong nakaraan lamang buwan, lumalabas na talagang nalagay sa panganib ang buhay ng ating mga kapulisan,” he pointed out.

(With these allegations repeatedly floating around, we can’t help but also doubt some of them especially that a few of the investigations which I myself ordered would show that the lives of our police officers were really put in danger.)

“Ipinapa-alala ko rin na may mga namatay at nasugatan sa aming panig sa aming maigting na kampanya laban sa iligal na droga,” he added.

(May I also state that there have been deaths and injuries on our side in our tough campaign against illegal drugs.)

The PNP earlier submitted to the DOJ questionable cases of police anti-illegal drug operations where there were deaths, either of suspects or police operatives.

READ: PNP gives DOJ access to files of questionable cases on war on drugs

The number of case folders, however, was later reduced to 53 (from 61) after the PNP reported that eight of the cases were currently on appeal.

Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte in a televised public address, also invoked national security, claiming that police documents from his administration’s anti-narcotics campaign should be kept secret since they contained confidential information about specific individuals.

READ: We can’t give all drug war records due to national security issues – Duterte

“I understand your point of ensuring a professional PNP and of human rights-based approach in the conduct of our operations, but what I can assure you is that these are all being observed and strictly monitored—the exact reason why there have been thousands of policemen who were punished and dismissed from the service,” said Eleazar.

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