The return of the PNP
It seems President Duterte will return the PNP as the lead agency in the war against drugs. The only thing missing is his signature to make it official. I'm just wondering why he even has to do that, if there is a PDEA whose mandate is to eradicate illegal drugs. PDEA has done a lot in a short amount of time, but it does not seem to be enough based on the president's measure of success.
Having said that, the PNP cannot promise that the war on drugs will be less bloody, in case they return as the lead agency. But it makes you wonder why there are no shootouts in PDEA operations. They were able to seize large amounts of drugs, yet no shootouts here and there. If I'm not mistaken, only one shootout occurred with a former soldier. In a raid conducted in a condominium near the Palace, it was discovered that the daughter of a known drug queen currently incarcerated at the Correctional Institute for Women even had a police bodyguard. You would think a gunfight should have occurred, if they all had the training to do so.
Perhaps someone would rather see the return of a much bloodier campaign against illegal drugs. I will admit that there are drug traffickers who have committed such grave sins against society, all for the sake of profit. I will also admit that there are drug addicts who have performed heinous crimes and are still at large. But how do you identify who they are if a thorough investigation is not done? Is the PNP strategy all about killing them all, because that is what someone prefers?
These are the incidents you did not see in PDEA operations. But still, Duterte seems unimpressed with their successes, hence the return of the PNP. Hopefully, there will be no "Kian delos Santos" or "Carl Angelo Arnaiz" incidents that led to an outrage against the PNP's campaign against drugs. According to Duterte, he will resign if he cannot stop illegal drugs in the country. He gave no timeline this time. He promised to eradicate drugs in six months during the campaign. It's been a more than one year, drugs are still here. Perhaps he should learn from other countries who have also waged a bloody war on drugs, but have now taken a different path.