PNP vows to take measures to ensure less bloody war vs illegal drugs

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has vowed to take all the precautionary measures to ensure a less bloody war on drugs following the order putting back the police on the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos, PNP spokesman, said a less bloody antiillegal drugs campaign is one of the three preparations that are now being done by the PNP leadership on its way for return in the war on drugs.

“The Chief PNP (Director General Ronald dela Rosa) wants to take all the necessary precautionary measures to ensure that it will be less bloody, that suspects are captured alive,” said Carlos in an interview over dzMM.

Yesterday, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque announced that President Duterte has already given a go-signal for the return of the PNP in the war on drugs.

It was recalled that the PNP was kicked out first from the war on drugs late January this year over the controversy created by the death of South Korean executive Jee Ick Joo who was kidnapped and killed inside Camp Crame by anti-narcotics cops under the guise of an anti-illegal drugs operations. The PNP was put back a few weeks later.

In October, the PNP was also taken out of the war on drugs after the alleged execution of minors by the Caloocan City police—the incident led to a big drop in the satisfaction ratings of Duterte.

Body cameras

Noting that majority of Filipinos, as reflected in a survey, have been doubting police reports that slain suspects are fighting back that is why they are killed, another measure taken was the procurement of body cameras.

“Our operatives will strictly use body cameras in every conduct of operations for transparency. We are expediting the procurement,” said Carlos.

So far, only a few local government units like Pasig City has donated body cameras to the police.

Carlos said anti-narcotics cops would be the priority in the distribution of body cameras.

Internal cleansing

The third measure, according to Carlos, is the continuous conduct of internal cleansing with the help of the Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) which has so far arrested more than 50 policemen.

Since the PNP led the war on drugs, almost 4,000 drug suspects were killed while thousands of drug pushers and users were also executed by vigilante groups.

The re-entry of the PNP in the war on drugs is expected to be compared with the PDEA which only recorded one death since it led the operations from early October up to Duterte’s announcement.

Director Camilo Cascolan, head of the PNP Directorate for Operations, said they will be meeting with the PDEA on how to go about with the anti-drugs operations.

PDEA welcomes decision

Meanwhile, PDEA said it welcomes the President’s decision to allow the PNP to participate in the government’s operation against illegal drugs.

"PDEA welcomes the decision of the President. It has been the desire of PDEA that PNP will return in the fight against illegal drugs," PDEA DirectorGeneral Aaron Aquino said.