EDITORIAL - Record kill rate

As Bulacan celebrated its 439th anniversary, the provincial police counted 21 drug suspects killed in various operations in just 12 hours from Monday night until 7 a.m. yesterday. All 21 resisted or nanlaban and were therefore shot, the police claimed; 64 other suspects were arrested. Police said 21 guns, ammunition and 100.25 grams of shabu were seized during the operations.

Elsewhere in Luzon, six other drug suspects were shot dead by police in separate operations while three others died at the hands of suspected vigilantes. This means 30 people were killed in just one day in Luzon alone. Even in Bulacan, which has seen one of the highest death tolls in the continuing war on illegal drugs, yesterday’s kill rate was unusually high.

The Philippine National Police brushed aside such observations, saying the 21 would be high if all the deaths occurred in just one operation. Each kill is also automatically investigated by the PNP Internal Affairs Service or IAS, police officials assured those concerned about human rights violations.

It would be useful if the IAS would keep the public updated on the progress of its investigations on the drug-related deaths. With thousands of killings since last year, does the IAS have enough personnel to conduct a credible probe? Are all the probers aware of the rules of engagement for opening fire on civilians, and are the probers knowledgeable about the pertinent laws that can be applied in such cases?

Surveys indicate that the public has been generally supportive of President Duterte’s war on drugs. Because of the weakness of the criminal justice system, people have also indicated a willingness to look the other way in the face of the brutal methods employed in the war.

There is always the potential for police abuse, however, which the public must guard against. This is the purpose of the IAS investigations. It is also in the interest of the PNP to show that it goes after abusive members. If the PNP wants to maintain public trust, the police must show that the trust is deserved.