Despite a bloodless relaunch of its anti-drug program, the Philippine National Police said it cannot avoid confrontations with drug personalities.

In a TV interview on Saturday, PNP Director General Roland De la Rosa said : "We cannot promise you a bed of roses. This is war on drugs so things can happen. We have to gamble frankly."

"We had policemen who died during anti-drug operations so these things can happen. I hope drug suspects will listen now and surrender peacefully," he added.

The new Oplan Tokhang resumed on Monday, with 821 suspected drug suspects surrendering to authorities in 17 regions nationwide.

A new feature of Oplan Tokhang is that operations can only be done from 8 am to 5 pm, five times a week.

Dela Rosa said solving the country's drug problem is a campaign promise of President Rodrigo Duterte. "So by all means we have to do that," he added.

Dela Rosa said cops who sell illegal drugs they confiscate from operations have been removed from their assignments. "We sent them to Mindanao so they are uprooted from their playing ground so they cannot sell drugs. Cases against them are being built up so we can file charges," he said. DMS