Palace: Police will probe bloody Bulacan drug raids

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police will look into the operations that resulted in the death of 32 drug suspects in Bulacan, Malacañang said Wednesday.

 

Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said the PNP Internal Affairs Service would probe the law enforcement operations as required by police procedure.

 

“Arresting officers claimed they were met with armed resistance while conducting said enforcement operations,” Abella said in a statement.

 

“PNP spokesperson [Senior Superintendent] Dionardo Carlos said that, as a matter of procedure, PNP Internal Affairs Service will investigate these simultaneous anti-drug raids,” he added.

 

READ: Record set: 21 alleged drug offenders killed in one day

 

Abella said the series of anti-drug operations in Bulacan coincided with the province’s 439th foundation day.

 

A total of 32 suspected drug offenders were killed and 107 others were arrested during the simultaneous law enforcement operations on Tuesday. Authorities also seized illegal drugs and grenades, firearms during the raids.

 

According to the latest "RealNumbersPH" release of government data, 3,451 so-called drug personalities have been killed in law enforcement operations as of July 26. 

 

The government launched the campaign to counter claims by government critics and human rights organizations in May that between 7,000 and 9,000 people had been killed in the anti-drug campaign.

 

According to a June 30 release, only 2,098 of 12,833 recorded since the war on drugs began were considered "drug-related". Another 8,200 were classified as homicides under investigation, where motives had yet to be determined. 

 

President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to continue the campaign against illegal drugs, a problem that he said has contaminated about four million people, and estimate that contradicts that of the Dangerous Drugs Board, which pegs the number at around 1.8 million based on its latest drug use survey.

 

READ: Duterte fires drugs board chair for 'contradicting government'

 

Duterte has also encouraged police officers to shoot drug lords and pushers if they feel that their lives are in danger, a statement that critics viewed as an encouragement to conduct summary killings.

 

The president has denied endorsing extrajudicial killings but has vowed to kill drug pushers who destroy the Filipino youth.