5 drug suspects slain; death toll hits 33

The police killed five more drug suspects yesterday, increasing to 33 the death toll in the Duterte administration’s renewed war on drugs.

This came just a week after the Philippine National Police launched the renewed drug war called Project Double Barrel: Reloaded, which the PNP has promised to be less bloody.

Two of the recent fatalities were from Northern Mindanao, while the regions of Calabarzon, Caraga and Soccsksargen had one fatality each.

PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa earlier promised that the renewed drug war would be less bloody compared to the first phase where around 7,000 people were killed in police operations and by vigilantes.

In the renewed drug war, most of the fatalities were in Central Luzon with 16 followed by Central Visayas with five, Calabarzon with three, Northern Mindanao with two, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with two.

Northern Luzon, Zamboanga peninsula and Metro Manila registered one fatality each.

The number of drug suspects arrested has increased to 1,889 as of yesterday compared to 1,577 last Friday.

A total of 6,331 suspected drug users and pushers have surrendered under the refurbished drug war since March 6. The police visited 67,137 houses to encourage suspects to surrender.

Barangay chiefs urged to provide drug war updates

Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno has directed 42,028 barangay captains to include reports on their campaign against illegal drugs and other forms of criminality in their respective State of Barangay Address (SOBA) during the first Barangay Assembly Day on March 25.

“This is a perfect opportunity for barangay officials and their constituents to talk on how to resolve problems in the community like illegal drugs, criminality, corruption and other problems in their barangays,” Sueno said in a statement yesterday.

Barangay officials should also update their constituents on their accomplishments for the past year and programs in the coming year, he added.

Under the Local Government Code of 1991, every barangay has to deliver a SOBA which should include reports on their revenues and expenses.

Presidential Proclamation No. 260, on the other hand, mandates the holding of a Barangay Assembly Day on the last Saturday of March and on the second Sunday of October of every year.