IAS probes 4,152 drug bust deaths

MANILA, Philippines — The Internal Affairs Service (IAS) is investigating 97 percent of 4,279 persons killed for allegedly trying to fight it out with police officers during drug busts since July 2016.

IAS Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo said 4,152 of the 4,279 “nanlaban” cases are in different stages of investigation.

He added there are not enough IAS personnel, but they are trying to speed up the resolution of the cases.

While the Philippine National Police (PNP) has been receiving criticism for these deaths under investigation (DUIs), Triambulo said there are cases in which the relatives of those killed “are thankful because they caused headaches… We hope the media also report these cases.”

He said the statistics would disprove claims by some groups that the PNP is not doing anything about the “nanlaban” cases.

IAS is an independent and impartial body in the PNP mandated to investigate administrative cases against police officers.

Discrepancy

The IAS, however, has yet to explain why the office has only 4,152 cases when the government’s #RealNumbersPH accounted for 4,279 people killed in the campaign against illegal drugs during the administration of President Duterte from July 1, 2016  to April 31, 2018.

Triambulo said IAS has completed fact-finding for 1,224 cases while 899 other cases are still being investigated.

He said IAS records showed 776 cases has been resolved in the pre-charge investigation while 320 other cases are still being investigated and analyzed.

Triambulo noted that there were 608 pending cases in the summary hearing procedure stage while 325 others have been resolved and referred to the office of PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde, who will have the final say on IAS recommendations.

Albayalde said he continued to remind police officers that human rights are still foremost in the police’s campaign against drugs.

He said 600 police officers who commited infractions were slapped with criminal and administrative charges, citing the murders of a man and his son in Pasay and the irregular raid on a house in Caloocan.

Albayalde reiterated the PNP will continue the war on drugs with Operation Plans Tokhang and Doubel Barrel, which have been improved over the past two years.