PNP vows ‘horrifying’ campaign vs drug dealers

Drug dealers will face an intensified war on drugs that will “horrify” them, the Philippine National Police (PNP) warned yesterday.

PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Benigno Durana Jr. said the police force is going to double its efforts in response to President Duterte’s statement that the war against illegal drugs will continue and will be “relentless and chilling.”

“We want to send a message that there will be certainty of punishment. These drug pushers will be horrified and frightened by this intensified campaign,” Durana told reporters.

“They destroy lives, ruin relationships and make families dysfunctional,” he added.

But Durana clarified it does not mean there will be more bloodshed in the drug war. Citing PNP records, he said there have been fewer drug suspects killed in recent police operations.

“Before, 100 police operations resulted in five deaths. Now, based on latest data, 100 operations only resulted in one death,” he said.

The anti-drug campaign has resulted in the death of 4,354 suspects as of June 30, PNP’s data showed.

A total of 102,630 anti-drug operations were conducted, 147,802 drug personalities were arrested, more than 1.3 million drug suspects have surrendered and P21.29 billion worth of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia were seized during the period.

Durana said these are the results of the improvements in the PNP’s Oplan Double Barrel, or campaign against illegal drugs, wherein measures were put in place to ensure transparency in police operations.

“The first two years are valuable experience that we can learn, whether success or failure, we can learn from it to develop our strategy to make it more effective,” he added.

Durana also appealed to critics of the administration to help in the government’s campaign instead of criticizing the program.

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada is also supporting Duterte’s “relentless and chilling” war on drugs.

“I will help in President Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs. He is on the right track and everyone of us must support him,” Estrada told The STAR in a telephone interview yesterday.

“I have already succeeded in making the city debt-free after my over four years in my post as Manila mayor. To help the President in his anti-drug war, I will make Manila totally drug-free, zero drugs all over the city before my term ends,” he added.

Estrada also said that he is ready to again run for mayor in the 2019 elections.

“I will not give up. It’s all systems go for my third run as Manila mayor,” Estrada said.