FORMER president and current Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada directed an anti-illegal drug operation at the Islamic Center in Quiapo Friday that led to the deaths of seven suspected drug pushers and the arrest of over 200 suspects, including an alleged commander of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter.
Estrada oversaw the early morning operation conducted by members of Stations 3 and 8 of the Manila Police District, SWAT, and the National Capital Region Police Office.
“This shows that we are serious in our fight against illegal drugs,” Estrada said as he called on the Muslim leaders at the Islamic Center to support the government’s war against drugs.
“This is just the second time that Islamic Center has been raided; the first was during Marcos’ administration. I hope we can help each other so that your community can be peaceful and drug-free,” he said in Filipino.
One of the seven suspects killed in the operation was a high-value target, a certain Faiz Macabato, reportedly the chairman of Barangay 648, who has P1-million bounty on his head. Police said Macabato fought back when policemen stormed the barangay hall.
“It doesn’t matter who you are in this campaign, if you have broken the law, you must pay for it. Unfortunately, he fought back, so the MPD was forced to shoot back,” Estrada said.
A total of 263 drug suspects or “persons of interest” were also arrested while dozens of high-powered firearms and grenades and at least 60 sachets of shabu were confiscated, MPD director Senior Supt. Joel Coronel said.
Police in Leyte said Friday they were preparing cases before the Office of the Ombudsman against 226 respondents who allegedly received drug payoffs from suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa.
Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido, Albuera police chief, said these include 19 politicians, four members of the judiciary, 24 police officials, 15 police non-commissioned officers, four officials of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), three CIDG non-commissioned officers; an official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, three personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, an Army official, three members of the media and 149 civilians.
Espenido did not reveal the names of the politicians, but said these include a senator, a governor and vice governor from Region VIII, two Leyte board members and two Leyte mayors, a Leyte vice mayor and councilor, a president of the Association of Barangay Chairmen, six barangay captains from Albuera, Leyte, and two barangay kagawad, also from Albuera, Leyte.
Despite the international condemnation of the high death toll, most Filipinos support President Duterte’s war on drugs but believe it is “very important” that suspects are caught alive, the latest Social Weather Stations survey showed.
The survey of 1,200 respondents nationwide showed 84 percent of Filipinos satisfied with the ongoing war against illegal drugs (with 54 percent “very satisfied” and 30 percent “somewhat satisfied”) and eight percent dissatisfied (with four percent “somewhat dissatisfied” and four percent “very dissatisfied”) while another eight percent were undecided.
The survey also found that 71 percent of respondents said that it is “very important” that suspects involved with illegal drugs be caught alive, 23 percent said it is “somewhat important,” five percent said it is “somewhat not important” and two percent said it is “not important at all.”
Also, 83 percent said that the administration’s intensified war against illegal drugs “does not discriminate by class,” 13 percent said it is centered on the poor, while four percent said it is centered on the rich.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella welcomed the survey results.
“The survey tells us that a majority of the people trust the actions of the President, that they value human life, and perceive fairness in the carrying out of police duties. It is encouraging that the people and the President share in the dream to have a comfortable life for all,” he said.
Official Philippine National Police data show 1,390 suspects died in anti-drug operations between July 1—a day after Mr. Duterte took over the country—and Oct. 6, but unofficial media counts that include possible hits by vigilantes and rival drug gangs have hovered closer to 3,000, with PNP Director General Ronald M. dela Rosa telling senators in one recent hearing that the police have had difficulty keeping up with the daily body count.
The survey, conducted Sept. 24 to 27 through face-to-face interviews, had sampling error margins of ±3 points for national percentages and ±6 points each for Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.