From drugs, PNP shifts focus to internal cleansing
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said that with the war on drugs solely in the hands of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the PNP can now concentrate on other programs, particularly the internal cleansing of its 185,000 force.
In a televised interview by CNN’s “The Source,” Dela Rosa said the PNP will now focus on weeding out police scalawags or rogue cops from among its ranks.
“Makaka-focus na kami ng husto nito ngayon. Siguro yung aking PNP Drug Enforcement Group magfo-focus more on internal cleansing, tulungan nila yung aming Counter-Intelligence Task Force para talaga mahuli itong mga pulis na gumagawa ng kalokohan (We can be more focused now. Perhaps, our PNP Drug Enforcement Group can focus more on internal cleansing, they will help the Counter-Intelligence Task Force so that we can catch those who commit wrongdoing,” he said.
The PNP chief said that out of the 185,000 uniformed personnel of the PNP, about two percent or roughly around 4,000 police are believed to be engaged in illegal activities.
“Binabasehan namin iyung mga nasa listahan NG mga pulis na suspected to be involved in anomalies at saka iyung mga facing administrative charges, mga nakasuhan, more or less aabot sa ganung number at saka iyung mga na-convict na gumawa ng kalokohan (We based it on a list of policemen who are suspected to be involved in anomalies and those facing administrative charges – those who are facing charges; more or less that is the number, and those who were convicted due to wrongdoings),” Dela Rosa said.
When asked about the more than 1,000 Caloocan City policemen who were relieved of their posts, he said they are still undergoing retraining at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig City. Drug war ignores
AI ‘vilification’ Meanwhile, Malacañang assured that the drug war under the watch of the PDEA would continue despite what Palace spokesperson called the “vilification” by the group Amnesty International (AI).
The London-based human rights watchdog had stated that the transfer of authority over the administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign from the PNP was a mere public relations stunt to appease the growing opposition.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella pointed to PDEA as the new object of AI’s, and similar groups’ ire and vilification.
“The PDEA, which has been recently assigned as the sole agency in charge of the anti-illegal drug campaign, is now being demonized by Amnesty International,” Abella said in a statement. “While Amnesty International is known to be disparaging the frontline role of the PNP in the anti-illegal drug campaign, now it sees the relief of the agency as a mere public relations stunt,” Abella added.
But despite this, the Palace official said the recent remark from the AI will not stop the Duterte Administration from pursuing the campaign and to eradicate narcotics in the country.
“Nevertheless, the government will proceed in its drive to make the Philippines a nation free of crime, corruption and illegal drugs,” he said.
“We are hopeful that operations of this agency will not be jeopardized by the interference of outside agencies that fail to appreciate our desire, not for a drug-tolerant, but drug-free nation,” he added. (With a report from Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos) R21-M R21.06-million