PNP says it dismissed bad cops as SWS says majority undecided about anti-drug operations
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has dismissed 431 personnel for their alleged involvement in illegal drugs in response to a Social Weather Station survey that majority of Filipinos are undecided if cops are telling the truth about deaths in anti-drug operations.
An SWS survey on Wednesday said 28 percent of adult Filipinos believed police were not telling the truth drug suspects were killed after retaliating , compared to 28 percent who said police were telling the truth.
''The plurality of 44 percent are undecided,'' said SWS.
In a media forum on Thursday, Senior Superintendent Bernard Banac, police spokesman said 313 personnel tested positive in illegal drugs while 118 personnel were involved in illegal drug-related cases.
Data from the PNP's Director for Personnel and Records Management said seven police commissioned officers, 300 non-commissioned officers and six non-uniformed personnel tested positive for illegal drugs.
Nine commissioned officers and 109 non-commissioned officers were dismissed for being involved in illegal drug related cases.
Malacanang, for its part, said they are aware there are rotten eggs that destroy the Philippine National Police.
“In the spirit of fairness, however, SWS should have also fielded a question regarding the good deeds of our policemen in the war against drugs. After all, a total of 165 police officers were killed and 575 were wounded in the campaign against prohibited narcotics, based on the latest report of the PNP,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.
“These figures dispel allegations of critics and detractors on legitimate drug operations and show that drug pushers and addicts actually resort to violence when confronted with a threat of apprehension. Indeed, illegal drugs, particularly methamphetamine or shabu, alter emotions and cause anger and fear on the part of the user so we are not dumbfounded when violent encounters ensue during police operations,” Panelo added.
“As we always said and based on our PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde, we should fight illegal drugs in proper and right way with respect to human rights even the value of (their) life,” said Banac.
“The truth is, we have few PNP personnel who were dismissed and was removed. The 69 uniformed personnel were removed from service and the one who were reportedly involved in killing (suspect), cases were filed against them, they were arrested and now in jail,” he added, citing the Kian delos Santos case.
Banac said this shows the PNP is not favoring anyone and they are following proper procedures.
“We do not discount the possibility that some of us are involved,” he said. “But all our police are well trained and properly educated,” he said.
He added that internal cleansing is still ongoing and the public should also consider police officers are also sacrificing their lives in anti-drug operations.
Panelo said while there are erring policemen within the PNP, the institution has done internal cleansing efforts such as the activation of the Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) tasked to go after policemen involved in unlawful activities.
''We have also been witnesses to this zero tolerance against police misfits when the cop killers of Kian de los Santos were convicted and the entire Caloocan police force was relieved,'' said Panelo.
“As PRRD ( President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) himself said, “There will be hell to pay if you become worse than criminals.” Such actions show that we in the Administration are intolerant with any kind of abuse coming from those whose duty is to serve and protect the Filipino people,” he added. Ella Dionisio/DMS
