No room for EJK in war on drugs – Palace
Extra-judicial killings or EJK will never have a place in the administration’s war on illegal drugs, Malacañang assured Wednesday after the United States voiced cautious optimism about the country’s human rights record.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque assured that gov
ernment would continue to protect human rights, especially the people’s right to life, as the police force has relaunched its anti-illegal drug efforts.
“We wish to reiterate that extrajudicial killings (EJK) never had – and will never have – a place in the antiillegal drug campaign,” Roque said in a statement.
Roque said the anti-drug campaign is “anchored on respect for human rights, cognizant of our obligation to protect our people’s right to life and to live in peace and security.”
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State James Walsh had earlier said Washington is being “cautiously optimistic” amid signs of fewer extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.
“Many folks have been tracking the EJKs in the Philippines and the trends are going down so there is some encouragement that we are seeing in some of our human rights training working,” the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement told reporters.
“I would describe the United States as being cautiously optimistic in the trends when it comes to a good... appropriate way for a drug campaign,” he added.
Although it has reduced support for the local police due to human right concerns, Walsh said United States would continue to provide support in areas such as drug demand reduction programs.
Roque said Walsh’s statement indicated a “growing appreciation of the positive impact of the administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign.”
He cited that the country’s colleagues in the Association Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China and Japan have “fully” supported the government’s efforts to combat the narcotics trade.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said he was elated that the US has noticed their effort to improve the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
“Very good and salamat sa observation nila na iyon. Okay ‘yun, salamat (Very good and thank you for their observation. That’s okay, thank you),” Dela Rosa said.
The Palace, meantime, has high expectations of the renewed anti-drug campaign of the PNP.
Roque said the significant strides of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the conduct of anti-drug operations have been “noteworthy” with the dismantling of drug dens and laboratories “with fewer drug-related deaths.”
“We are confident that the re-launch of the Philippine National Police Operation Tokhang would have similar results. This early, there have been hundreds of surrenderees and no casualty on its first day,” he said. (With reports from Martin A. Sadongdong and AFP)