Drug killings down to 5 a day
The number of suspected drug offenders who were shot dead allegedly after trying to fight it out with police dropped to an average of five persons a day during the first eight days of 2017.
Based on statistics provided by the Philippine National Police (PNP), there were 41 drug personalities killed from Dec. 31 to Jan. 8, or an average of 5.12 persons daily.
The PNP said the latest update on Project Double Barrel Alpha from July 1, 2016 to Jan. 8, 2017 indicated that 2,208 drug pushers and users were killed after they tried to fight it out or “nanlaban” with police. The figure was higher by 41 compared to the report from July 1 to Dec. 31.
From July 1 to Dec. 14 last year, an average of 30 drug suspects were killed daily or a total of 2,102 during the first 167 days of the Duterte administration as the PNP carried out a brutal
campaign against illegal drugs nationwide.
During the same period, suspected vigilantes killed 2,886 people. The cases were classified as “deaths under investigation” or DUI.
From July 1, 2016 to Jan. 8, 2017, the PNP said a total of 44,132 drug pushers and users were arrested in 41,029 police operations conducted in 18 regions nationwide.
So far, a total of 1,020,904 self- confessed drug addicts surrendered, of whom 75,481 were pushers and 945,423 users.
Police visited 6,112,289 houses through Oplan Tokhang.
Earlier, Sen. Richard Gordon said the PNP has enough funds to wage its campaign against illegal drugs under Double Barrel, simultaneously targeting high- level drug traffickers and street- level pushers in one campaign.
Gordon said the PNP has a hefty amount to work with considering the P900 million allocated for Double Barrel in the 2017 national budget.
He said the amount is separate from the P468.1 million for the PNP intelligence fund for this year. The PNP’s total budget for this year is P111.6 billion.
Gordon said lawmakers are willing to allocate more funds to the PNP to help end extrajudicial killings and criminality.
The PNP is thankful for the needed budget in the campaign against illegal drugs.
“The PNP will work hard to ensure that the anti-drug campaign in the next six months will reach its target. The PNP is grateful that the needed operating budget is made available. The police will continue the fight against drugs, crime and corruption,” said PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos.