PNP sets sights on 893 high-value drug targets

Anti-narcotics officers are focused on 893 high-value targets (HVTs) involved in the illegal drug trade, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said yesterday.

Albayalde also ordered the policemen to account for the remaining 1,656 drug suspects in the PNP watchlist, who have yet to surrender to authorities.

He said the move was in line with the recalibrated drug war wherein police were directed to run after HVTs identified by the intelligence community.

“There will be no let-up in the campaign against drugs. The Oplan Double Barrel will be intensified, but with safeguards to ensure that human rights and due process of law are observed during police opera- tions,” Albayalde said.

“Tokhang is meant to save the lives of drug dependents from the ill effects of substance abuse as well as restoring relationships in the families and the communities,” he added.

The PNP chief said the war on drugs would only be frightful and chilling to those who will continue to peddle drugs and resist arrest.

Over 4,000 suspected drug pushers and users have been killed in police operations since President Duterte launched the drug war in July 2016.

Albayalde said a total of 1,274,213 drug users and pushers surrendered to police in the past two years.

He added the PNP was monitoring the activities of around 215,323 drug surrenderees, who had undergone rehabilitation to ensure that they would not return to their old ways.