LAST Monday, SunStar Bacolod featured the story of “Drug group member arrested, 8 others yield in police ops.”
What’s interesting is that these arrests happened…without anyone getting killed. “Walang nanlaban.” These suspects were all captured alive to face the music in a court of law.
Noteworthy, too is the fact that law enforcers arrested Robert Venarta. Aside from two sachets of shabu, drug paraphernalia and the P500 marked money, the Binalbagan PNP also recovered.357 caliber revolver and four live ammunition from Venarta.
After all, didn’t President Duterte advise last year, “If they are there, destroy them also… O ‘pag walang baril, walang – bigyan mo ng baril (If they don’t have a gun, give them a gun). Here’s a loaded gun, fight because the mayor said, let’s fight.”
Thank God, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Negros Island Region (PDEA-NIR) and the Negrense police have the moral engagement to adhere to the Philippine National Police rules of engagement (Rules 6 and 7 on the use of deadly and reasonable force.
Rules 6 insists that “the excessive use of force shall be avoided. The use of firearm is justifiable by virtue of the Doctrines of Self-Defense, Defense of Relative, and Defense of Stranger, and if the police has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the police or other persons.”
Rules 7 affirms that “during an armed confrontation, the police may use reasonable force to overcome the threat posed by the suspect. However the Officer-in-Charge of the operation shall at all times exercise control over his men in the area, and shall ensure that no innocent civilian is caught in the crossfire.”
I wonder if President Duterte and PNP chief Bato de la Rosa is happy with the accomplishments of the NIR law enforcement agencies. There was no need to plant a gun. Venarta was captured alive – but no longer kicking.
Be that as it may I congratulate our Senior Superintendent William Señoron, director of Negros Occidental Provincial Office, and Senior Superintendent Jack Wanky, acting director of Bacolod City Police Office, for fighting illegal drugs while ensuring that human rights of the criminal suspects are defended.
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(bqsanc@yahoo.com)