Incoming Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa yesterday warned policemen believed to be involved in the judicial killings of drug pushers to conceal their complicity in the sale of illegal chemicals, that they may face the same consequences.
Dela Rosa issued the warning following reports that the killings of suspected drug pushers were apparently part of a drama staged by unscrupulous lawmen to conceal their association with the drug distributors.
“They [concerned policemen] may be killed, too. No matter how they manage to conceal their involvement now it will be revealed if they get killed,” Dela Rosa said.
So far, 68 suspected drug pushers and couriers fell into the hands of lawmen after the PNP launched an all-out drug war from January to June in seven regions believed to be havens of drug personalities, in response to the anti-drug and criminality policy of incoming President Rodrigo Duterte.
Police Statistics show that Central Luzon recorded the most suspects killed with 25; Calabarzon, 14; Davao, 10; Region 11, 10; Region-12, 8; Region 7, 5; Region 9 and NCR with two each and one in Region 18.
At least 13,920 drug suspects were also arrested with Metro Manila incurring the most numbers of arrests with 2,877 and Davao province with 846 during the same period.
In May and June alone, there were 3,760 arrests, the largest interdiction since Duterte and incoming PNP chief cracked down on illegal drugs and all forms of criminality in the country.
Dela Rosa said they learned that some policemen were trying to cover their tracks by killing their links to the illegal drug trade. He, however, said that these bad eggs make up just a small fraction in the organization.
“To be fair, the great majority of policemen are loyal and hard-working,” Dela Rosa said. He urged lawmen involved in drugs to surrender and name their drug source.
“If they want to change, they are very much welcome to reform, to surrender to the institution or they may want to turn themselves in to the media,” the PNP director said.
He added that aside from going after illegal drugs, the PNP would also address petty street crimes such robbery and snatching, that victimize poor students and office workers.