‘Ninja cops’ snub President’s ultimatum; HVTs increasing
Ninja cops – police involved in recycling confiscated “shabu” and providing protection to the drug trade –have snubbed the 48-hour ultimatum set by President Duterte for them to surrender.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde confirmed this yesterday as he revealed that the number of high-value targets (HVTs) of the police in the illegal drugs trade has increased since the President’s war on drug was launched more than two years ago.
But Director-General Albayalde said that from 9,866 HVTs in June 30 this year, the number increased to 9,972 based on the latest assessment conducted by the PNP last August 15.
But Albayalde explained despite the increase in the figure, only 1,003 are now the subject of the police operations since most of them, a total of 4,959, have already surrendered in the past and are just being regularly monitored.
“This is a result of our recalibration (of drug war), we should not stick to just one list. The problem on illegal drugs — it’s far from over so we really need to make a regular update,” he said.
The PNP chief added that a little over 3,000 HVTs have already been charged, arrested or killed.
“There are 654 High-Value Target personalities who can no longer be located in their last known addresses and areas of operation, while 322 other HVT personalities had become victims of homicide cases under investigation,” said Albayalde.
Meanwhile, the country’s top cop said he had not received any report either from Camp Crame or in the 17 police regional offices (PROs) of any erring policeman who yielded in compliance with the President’s warning for so-called Ninja cops to surrender.
“I don’t have any knowledge or report of surrender,” said Albayalde.
On Friday, President Duterte had warned ninja cops and even increased the reward money for their death from R2 million to R5 million in a bid to encourage more civilians to report on erring cops.