CHR denounces resumption of ‘Oplan Tokhang’

ANOTHER FATALITY The body of drug suspect Jayson Reuyan lies on BAC-11 Street near the Parañaque River in Pasay City after he was killed in a police buy-bust operation on Jan. 13. —RICHARD A. REYES

The Commission on Human Rights criticized the government decision to resume the “war against drugs,” citing abuses and previous cases where innocent people were killed.

“It (Operation Tokhang) should not continue because it has caused thousands to be killed without due process and many innocents have perished in the course of the campaign,” the CHR said in a statement.

Operation Tokhang is a Philippine National Police (PNP) anti-drug campaign derived from the Cebuano words tapok, meaning to gather, and hangyo, to plead. It involves police officers going to communities and knocking on the doors of suspected drug suspects.

“Thousands have surrendered but many have not been rehabilitated and our jails are heavily congested,” the CHR said. “Worse, the killing of the South Korean national, among many others, illustrate that Oplan Tokhang is susceptible to abuse by many in the police force.”

The Commission pointed out that the PNP has just started its “internal cleansing” to go after scalawag cops.

READ: CHR wants police reports on drug kills

“No true and meaningful investigation has been conducted on the extrajudicial killings yet and worse, no single person, to date has been held to account,” it said.

“The Commission, as the conscience of the government, urges the government to continue the drug campaign without resorting to violence and to hold Oplan Tokhang in abeyance until the PNP has concretely introduced reforms and only after serious investigations into the extra-judicial killings have been made,” the CHR said.

READ: PNP: ‘Tokhang’ to relaunch when rogue cops are gone

The CHR said it is speaking in behalf of “thousands of Filipinos who may fall prey to the arbitrariness of this operation.”

The Commission said it continues to stand up for the victims of Oplan Tokhang who were denied due process and it “advocates for the rights of every single person, including every policeman or policewoman who deserves a day in court before being meted with sanctions including death.” IDL/rga