PNP wants P900 M for ‘Tokhang 2’

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) is asking for P900 million to fund next year’s Oplan Double Barrel Reloaded—the Duterte administration’s brutal anti-drug campaign that was recently highlighted by the killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos in Caloocan City.

 Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto warned the PNP’s request to approve P900 million for “Tokhang II” in 2018 may be put on hold if it does not satisfactorily resolve the killing of the young boy, a Grade 11 student, in last week’s anti-illegal drugs operations.

 “Tokhang” is a contraction of Cebuano word “toktok” or knock and “hangyo” or to make a request. The Oplan supposedly would have policemen knocking on doors and appealing to drug pushers and users to mend their ways. However, it has recently become a slang term referring to extrajudicial killing or summary execution.

 Recto said the various investigations and review of the incident “will be pursued on many fronts,” including during the deliberations of the proposed P3.7-trillion national budget for 2018.

 “Kian’s life was ended so dastardly that it has united the nation in anger and grief. This national pain can only be salved by the truth,” the senator stressed.

 He said the budget hearings in the House of Representatives and in the Senate would provide an opportunity for oversight and answer the question as to sources of funds for the nationwide anti-drug campaign.

 “Where does the PNP get its financial ammo for the conduct of ‘tokhang’ of both the legal – yong katok lang na may pakiusap (the knocking that comes with an appeal) – and the lethal kind, yung may putok na may patay (the burst of gunfire that leads to deaths),” Recto said.

 For him, Congress must not issue a blank check for Oplan Double Barrel Reloaded.

 “Before such campaign is reloaded with funds, questions as to how it will be implemented must first be asked by the institution which will approve that request,” he said.

 The PNP will also get a P20-billion increase in its budget next year, to P131.5 billion, from P111.8 billion this year.

 “Is this enough to fund the suppression of other crimes, like riding-in-tandem and robberies? Are funds better spent for deterrence, like 24/7 foot patrols? Aren’t triple patrols better than double barrel?” Recto said.

A report of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said at least 465 minors or an average of one child per day were rescued in the government’s anti-drug operations from July 1, 2016 to Aug. 16 this year.

It is not clear if the rescued minors were sent to rehabilitation centers, although standard procedure requires policemen to send them to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) is also asking P731 million for the salaries of its members but before this could be approved, the unit needs to be questioned on whether or not it is doing its job as the tripwire of abuses and whistleblower of bad deeds.

Official police reports said a total of 3,577 persons were killed and 101,061 arrested since the campaign started.

It also said that 2,465.8 kilos of shabu, with a street value of P18.65 billion, were confiscated. It is not clear if this includes the P6.4 billion worth of shabu shipped from China and which passed through the Customs bureau recently.