Police: No assurance of bloodless drug war
The PNP cannot assure that anti-drug operations they will be conducting will be totally bloodless.
From December 5 to February 4, the police have conducted 461 operations and arrested 752 drug suspects.
Of the 752 arrested, 328 are pushers and 424 are users while two drug personalities were killed in separate antiillegal drug operations in Negros Oriental.
Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 Director Chief Superintendent Robert Quenery told The FREEMAN that a bloodless narcotics crackdown can only be achieved if the subject of the operation will not shoot it out with the authorities.
"We can maintain bloodless anti-drug campaign pag hindi lumaban. If you submit peacefully, there will be no bloodshed," Quenery said.
Last year, President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the PNP to stop conducting anti-illegal drugs operation because of several complaints of human rights violations
But in December, the president ordered the PNP to help the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the fight against illegal drugs as PDEA lacks manpower and resources.
Quenery said that the operation in Negros Oriental resulted in the death of the two drug suspects because they fought with the operatives.
One of the casualties was ex-policeman Roderick Maquinta, 36, Barangay Dandau-ay, Dumaguete City.
He was considered a high-value target.
Maquinta joined the PNP in 2007 but was dismissed in 2013 for using a governmentissued phone in an illegal drugs transaction.
Tolentin pointed out that from August 20 to October 20 last year, 1,777 drug suspects were arrested and there were 10 deaths that happened during police operations.
Tolentin said that the much lesser number of deaths during drug operations from December 5 to February 4 could mean that drug personalities may have learned their lesson that it is better to surrender than fight with the police.
Quenery said that he appreciates the work done by policemen, especially those in the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), for the decline of the supply drugs.
"I really appreciate it. I know our men our working hard," Quenery said.
However, he warned his men to operate with "clean hands" and not involve themselves in anything illegal.
"If you are a member of DEU , you do your best to fight illegal drugs. You have to come with clean hands. You do not involve yourself directly or indirectly into helping or protecting drug syndicates," Quenery said.