PNP chief: ‘You can’t stop us’

“You can criticize us to high heavens, but you can’t stop us,” Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa told Manila Overseas Press Club members and guests the other night. It was his first appearance before the 71- year- old organization of local and foreign news correspondents; previous engagements had been cancelled at the last minute due to emergency calls by President Rodrigo Duterte. He said something like he felt jittery about “guns” being aimed at him.

But he did not show any sign of nervousness as he talked about “an interesting time in our history given the vicious war against illegal drugs and crime that we have been waging since President Duterte came to power.”

He had been head of the Davao City police department, and last June was already based in Camp Crame as police chief superintendent when President Duterte appointed him to eradicate the illegal drug trade in the country. “It was a tall order, but it was one I was ready to heed at all costs.” No sooner said than he realized how extensive the drug menace

was. “Sobrang talamak na pala ang iligal na droga sa ating bansa. Sobrang nakakabahala na ito, at tunay na nakakalungkot

at nakakagalit.” (The drug menace has become so huge, it is causing so much worry and fear.)

Dela Rosa, a 1986 graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, is from Barangay Bato, Santa Cruz, Davao City, and served as the city’s police chief where he led Oplan TukHang (TuktokHangyo), an anti-drug operation. The program had police knocking on the doors (that’s for the word tuktok) of suspected drug addicts or drug dealers to warn them (that’s for the word hangyo) of consequences if they do not reform. If they did not heed the warning, the double barrel of a shotgun would be heard. So Davaoeños walked like on eggs, careful, careful. The program is claimed to have made Davao the fourth safest city in the world. The President’s order was to apply the same program on a national level, under the name Double Barrel Oplan TukHang.

The program, described as “mercy killings,” has stirred up merciless charges of human rights violations, and lately, brought the President and international figures into verbal tussles and threats of breaks in relations. Even former President Fidel V. Ramos opined that “not to shoot to kill but disable” suspects is the better option, for how can the police investigate a suspect if he is dead?

To that, Director General Dela Rosa said at the MOPC gathering that every leader has his own policy, and he is entitled to it.

Dela Rosa talked about the gains made with the Double Barrel Oplan TukHang operation during the last four months.

Reaching of the two million mark from July 1 to October 18, with police operatives visiting a total of 2,247,981 homes nationwide “to convince suspected illegal drug users and pushers to surrender, stop their illegal activities and mend their ways.” This has resulted in the surrender of 746,0966 drug personalities of which 691,788 are users and 54,278 are pushers. A total of 29,910 have been arrested while 1,661 have been killed in anti-drug operations. In the process, 13 policemen lost their lives while 40 others sustained injuries. He made no mention of killings committed by vigilantes.

• The discovery and dismantling of shabu laboratories in different parts of the country has contributed significantly to the decline in the illegal drug supply. Among those dismantled were the biggest shabu laboratory in the country located in Arayat, Pampanga; another in Barangay Lingyunan in Valenzuela City; a tiangge in Marawi City; another laboratory in Las Piñas City; a floating laboratory at the sea waters of Subic in Zambales; a drug storage in Angeles City, and another lab in Magalang, Pampanga. The PNP chief did not mention the most recent discovery of a huge laboratory in Isabela. Persons involved in the operation of the said laboratories are in detention, he said.

A raid conducted at the New Bilibid Prisons led to the relief of the usual jail guards and the deployment of more than 300 SAF troopers to secure the area. From July to September 2016, government anti-illegal drugs operations netted P16.383 billion worth of shabu, four times higher than confiscations recorded last year.

Dela Rosa said many persons have decried the anti-illegal drug operation methods of his men, but there are many, too, who are cheered as these have translated to less illegal drugs and less crime. “The incidents of rape, physical injuries, robbery, theft and carnapping have decreased. With less drugs to destroy the lives of our countrymen, especially our youth, and the resulting less crime in the streets, we now expect less fear and anxiety in the hearts of our countrymen as they go about their daily lives.”

• Being targeted are three foreign drug rings operating in the country which are using coastlines, airports and seaports, even mail and parcel services to transport illegal drugs including controlled precursors and essential chemicals. The three are the FilipinoChinese drug syndicates, the African drug syndicates, and the MexicanSinaloa Drug Cartel.

• Being cleansed is the PNP ranks of police scalawags and misfits. Dela Rosa said he told his men, “I profess a zero tolerance for police personnel involved in illegal drugs, especially the so-called ninja cops. This is why we have been conducting random drug tests in police units nationwide, and we continue to investigate police personnel suspected of involvement in the illegal drug trade.“As of the latest report, 164 PNP personnel have tested positive for illegal drug use, seven of these civilian employees.

• Dela Rosa said that aside from focusing on the war against illegal drugs, the PNP continues to operate against carnapping, kidnap- for- ransom and other criminal gangs, and conduct operations against illegal logging, illegal fishing, smuggling, piracy and loose firearms, among others. He said an intensified drive against illegal gambling is next in its list after the illegal drug war.

“We have a police population of only about 160,000 serving more than a hundred million Filipinos,” he said. “But we remain undaunted because we are deeply committed to serving and protecting the nation at all costs.”

***

On another front, The Forum for Family Planning and Development will host the 9th Rafael M. Salas Cup on November 11, Friday at the Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club, with former President Fidel Ramos doing the 7:30 a.m. ceremonial tee-off.

This year’s tournament theme is “Full Implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law.”

Named in his honor, Rafael Salas is remembered as the first Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) with the rank of Undersecretary-General and is known as “Mr. Population.”

Sponsors include DKT Philippines, Lopez Group Foundation, San Miguel Corp., PAGCOR, Group Management Development Inc., Marubeni Philippines, Team Energy, San Roque Power Corp., Filinvest Development Corp., Northstar Commercial Inc., Province of Pangasinan, Social Security System, Meralco, Philippine Resources Savings Bank, Quickminds, Grand Videoke, STRADCOM, PCSO, Office of the Vice-Governor Pangasinan.

Registration is at 6 a.m. Sequential teeoff is from 6 to 9 a.m.

To reserve tournament slots call Golf Marketing Central at 6970520, 0917-8400119 or email salasgolfcup@gmail.com.

Email: dominitorrevillas@gmail.com