Metro Manila, Philippines – The new Philippine National Police (PNP) chief announced Monday, June 2, that the number of arrests related to the anti-drug campaign will be part of the performance metrics of police officers.
In a news conference following the change of command ceremony, PGen Nicolas Torre III said an efficient police officer will not allow drug criminals to get “scot-free.”
“Sige, paramihan [Okay, a contest with the most arrests]… Make sure that everything we do [is] within the ambit of the law. Aresto [Arrest],” Torre told reporters.
Asked how the PNP can make sure that the human rights of the accused will be protected, Torre said: “Tandaan natin ang mga taong inaresto mo, hindi mo binaril, hindi mo pinatay, buhay ‘yan [Those arrested must be alive, not gunned down or killed].”
Torre said the PNP Internal Affairs Service will investigate complaints received against police officers regarding the arrest.
“Obviously, buhay ang tao, kukuha ng abogado ‘yan, aba, alam nila kung paano dedepensahan sarili nila in terms of their human rights,” the PNP chief said.
“Ang ating Internal Affairs Service will always be open sa mga reklamo na ganyan: Paglabag, pag-abuso, pagmamalabis sa tungkulin,” he said.
[Translation: Obviously, since the accused is alive, they will get a lawyer. They will know how to defend themselves in terms of their human rights. Our Internal Affairs Service will always be open to complaints of violations and abuse in their duty.]
Going after small-scale dealers
During his speech at the PNP change of command ceremony, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on Torre to pursue the campaign against illegal drugs while upholding human rights in the process.
READ: Marcos to Torre: Pursue anti-drug efforts, uphold human rights
Marcos noted the importance of strong coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in seizing drugs and filing cases against drug dealers and drug lords.
“Patuloy kayong magmatyag sa ating mga komunidad para kahit ang small-time na mga drug dealers ay wala ring ligtas,” he said.
[Translation: Remain vigilant in our communities so that even small-time drug dealers are not spared.]
But for human rights group Karapatan, the orders of Marcos and Torre proved that there’s no “Bagong Pilipinas” in the administration.
“Instead of addressing the root causes of the illegal drug trade in the country, the Marcos administration continues the Duterte administration’s policies and practice of fomenting fear and impunity through a law enforcement driven approach,” Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay told NewsWatch Plus.
Marcos made the pronouncement of hunting “small offenders” in a podcast on May 19.
“Part of the lesson of this election, let’s go back to the grassroots level,” the president said.
A number of the president’s senatorial candidates failed to get elected, while local politicians aligned with the Dutertes won in their localities. The president’s trust and approval ratings have significantly declined in recent months.
Human rights groups have criticized former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs for only targeting small-scale drug dealers and users in poor communities. Government numbers said there were over 6,000 suspects killed in anti-drug operations.
In March, Duterte was arrested by the International Criminal Court due to alleged crimes against humanity related to his bloody drug campaign.
