Rody: Give me another year vs drugs

MANILA, Philippines — A day after he brought the police back to his brutal war on illegal drugs, President Duterte yesterday said he needed one more year to end the narcotics problem, a mission that he described as a “sacred thing.”

Duterte, who previously vowed to end the drug menace within the first six months of his term, said he would perform his duty as president despite allegations that his anti-drug crackdown has led to summary executions.

“Wala na akong istorya pa na (I do not have anything to say anymore about) extrajudicial killing. It will happen if it will happen. It cannot happen, if it cannot happen,” the President said during the oath taking of government appointees and officers of private groups in Malacañang.

“I hope to finish the problem. Maybe give me just another year,” he added.

It was the fourth time Duterte set a deadline for the illegal drugs campaign. During the campaign period, he promised to curb the proliferation of narcotics within the first six months of his term, a platform that helped him attain a landslide victory in the 2016 presidential race.

Duterte extended his self-imposed deadline to six more months in September last year, saying he underestimated the extent of the drug menace, which he said involved several local government officials.

Three months later, the President said the war against illegal drugs would continue until the last day of his term and until the last drug pusher is out of the streets.  

More than 3,000 suspected drug offenders have been killed since Duterte declared war on illicit drugs, worrying critics who believe that the campaign has encouraged human rights violations and summary executions.

Duterte responded to fears that his decision to bring the Philippine National Police (PNP) back to his campaign against illegal drugs would lead to more killings.

“If it’s a social issue, then you turn the page, why? If it’s a social issue you have to, you know, study why it happened. Where did it start? How did it happen to the Republic of the Philippines? Do not just show a stunt and then go home. ‘Duterte, here are the people killed’,” he said.

“Dagdagan mo na kasi magbalik ang pulis (Add more because the police will return). You know, all you have to do is I said stop,” he added.  

Last Tuesday, Duterte signed Memorandum Order No. 17, directing the PNP and other law enforcement agencies to resume providing “active support” to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the conduct of anti-illegal drugs operations.

The order authorized the police to join drug raids but they have to coordinate their actions with the PDEA, which remains the lead agency for the campaign.

In the order, Duterte said there had been a “notable resurgence in illegal drug activities and crimes” since the PNP and other law enforcement agencies were barred from joining the anti-illegal drug campaign.

He also claimed that there was a “public clamor” to restore the role of the police and other law enforcement agencies in the crackdown on illegal drugs.

Memorandum Order No. 17 reversed an Oct. 12 memorandum designating the PDEA as the sole agency for the war on illegal drugs.

The old memorandum was issued following the outcry over the killing of two teenage suspects by policemen last August.

Kian delos Santos, 17, a suspected drug runner, was allegedly shot dead after clashing with arresting officers but witnesses claimed he was killed even if he was already begging for his life.

Another teenager, 19-year old Carl Arnaiz, was killed after allegedly robbing a cab driver but the victim later disowned the affidavits ascribed to him.

Duterte said he would not be deterred by the criticisms of human rights advocates, whom he said should be given Valium, a drug used to treat anxiety disorders.

“These human rights (advocates), buy them medicine to calm them down, Valium. Have them drink it. Patulugin mo lang ‘yang mga y*** na ‘yan (Put those devils to sleep),” the President said.

“It is useless to debate with the human rights. It will not stop. I’m determined to wipe out this scourge of drugs in this country. To me, that is a sacred thing. I vowed to do it.” 

Additional safety measures

The PNP said it would put in place additional safety measures to prevent bloodshed in the campaign against illegal drugs.

In a press briefing at Camp Crame yesterday, PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos said the PNP’s oversight committee would craft a new command memorandum circular, which shall serve as guidelines for all police anti-drug operating units.

Members of the oversight committee will meet tomorrow.

Carlos said the panel hopes the memorandum circular will be available by Monday.

Three important items will be included in the memorandum circular as ordered by PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa.

First is requiring all policemen to wear body cameras during anti-drug operations to ensure transparency and prevent irregularities.

Second is strengthening the PNP’s internal cleansing program to prevent police scalawags from taking advantage of the drug war.

Third is emphasizing to policemen to take all necessary precautions to prevent bloodshed.

“What the PNP chief wants is to take all precautionary measures to ensure that it’s less bloody, the suspects are captured alive,” Carlos said in an interview over radio dzMM.

Leni: No more summary killings

Vice President Leni Robredo is hoping there will be no more extrajudicial killings in the conduct of the war on drugs.

“I think there is a reason why it was returned to them (PNP). But we trust the government that there will be safeguards to prevent unexplained killings and that there will be no more extrajudicial killings this time,” the Vice President said in an interview over Bombo Radyo-Isabela.

“I just hope that the route they will take now will be different,” Robredo said, noting the success of drug rehabilitation programs in the past months.

PDEA must monitor police ops

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, chair of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said Duterte’s move to let the PNP be involved in the drug war again is “practical” because PDEA has only less than 2,000 personnel, who cannot be expected to cover the entire country.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the PDEA still needs to assert its leadership and closely monitor the PNP’s support operations to prevent unnecessary bloodshed.

He noted that over the past couple of months when the PNP was not involved in the drug war, it has been shown that the drug war can be done effectively with minimal loss of life.

“The people will hold the leadership of both agencies responsible if the disturbing trend of brutal suspicious killings is revived,” Gatchalian said.

But Human Rights Watch doubts the PNP’s coordination with the PDEA can stop extrajudicial killings.

–  With Emmanuel Tupas, Paolo Romero, Helen Flores