PDEA willing to cooperate with ICC
THE PHILIPPINE Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is willing to present the government’s data on President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s nationwide war on drugs to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its preliminary examination into the “crimes against humanity” complaint filed against Mr. Duterte by the camp of opposition Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV.
“If the data will be summoned in relation to such hearing, then PDEA will support in terms of the data. If the data is relevant, automatically, we will submit it,” PDEA Spokesperson Derrick Arnold Carreon said during the # RealNumbersPH media briefing at Malacañang on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
“This is precisely why we came out with these real numbers in order for us to become more transparent with regards to the conduct of the drug campaign,” Mr. Carreon also said.
For her part, Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Ana Maria Paz R. Banaag said: “While we know that the complaints filed before the ICC are founded on political motive and baseless numbers, we reiterate that the Philippine government respects and protects human rights, and our police officers follow rules of engagement. There may be isolated cases of abuse, but our President never tolerated these cases.”
At the briefing, Mr. Carreon reported that “from July 1, 2016 to Feb. 8, 2018 — a total of 85,068 anti- illegal drug operations were conducted by PDEA and other law enforcement agencies, resulting in the arrest of 121,087 drug personalities. During the period, there were 4,021 drug personalities who died during anti-drug operations.”
GOVERNMENT WORKERS ARRESTED
“A total of 454 government workers were arrested nationwide for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Out of these, 192 were elected officials, 44 were uniformed personnel and 218 were government employees. On drug law enforcers who were killed and wounded in anti-drug operations in the performance of their drug enforcement duties — 87 law enforcers were killed-inaction, while 227 were woundedin-action,” he added.
As for minors rescued, Mr. Carreon said a total of 618 were rescued from involvement in illegal drugs activities.
“PDEA and other law enforcement agencies dismantled a total of 183 illegal drug facilities, composed of 174 drug dens and 9 shabu laboratories. The antidrug operations conducted also resulted in the seizure or confiscation of 2,610.37 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu worth P13.41 billion, posting P166.62 million increase since Jan. 17, 2018,” he reported.
“Dangerous drugs, controlled precursors, essential chemicals and laboratory equipment confiscated from July 1, 2016 to Feb. 8, 2018 were worth P19.61 billion, posting an increase of P269.74 million since Jan. 17, 2018.”
“And, on barangay drug clearing operations, as of January 2018, a total of 5,327 barangays have been declared drug- cleared. This is out of the total drug affectation of 24,000 — or bringing the drug affectation nationwide to 24,137 drug affected barangays, representing 57.42% of the 42,036 barangays nationwide.”
For his part, Philippine National Police ( PNP) Spokesperson Chief Superintendent John C. Bulalacao reported that the PNP, based on the intent of the Presidential Memorandum Order No. 17, “shall resume the crucial role in the government’s antidrug campaign in support of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.”
He added that the PNP remains “optimistic with the prospect of less bloody anti- drug operations this time around, by prescribing supplemental operational guidelines when conducting ‘tokhang’ activities and law enforcement operations against drug personalities.”
“These supplemental guidelines are essentially founded on the fundamental principles of respect for human rights and strict adherence to the rule of law, with greater emphasis on transparency, accountability and command responsibility,” Mr. Bulalacao explained.