POLICE offices nationwide are not being demanded to fulfill quotas but they are pressured to make accomplishments in the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign more than two years on, the country’s Philippine National Police (PNP) chief said Friday, August 24.
According to PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde, there was no order from President Rodrigo Duterte for police units on the ground for a quota although they are pressured to clear their areas of responsibilities from drug personalities.
“In fairness to [Duterte], he did not say anything about quota. Never since day one that the [Duterte] administration [has demanded quota],” Albayalde said, referring to the number of drug-related arrests a police office can make in a certain period of time.
Albayalde was the guest of honor of the celebration of the PNP-Northern Mindanao’s 117th Police Service Anniversary and the launching of the “Clean Rider” program aimed at cutting down or even eliminating the shooting incidents and criminal activities involving motorcycle-riding suspects.
During the regional launching, about 500 bikers from all over Northern Mindanao attended the ceremony. The riders were also given “Clean Rider” stickers to signify their support to the anti-crime campaign of the PNP.
Albayalde has assured that the stickers are tamper-proof and are laden with security features so they could not be used illegally.
He added since the “Clean Rider” program was launched in July, crimes committed by motorcycle-riding suspects had gone down from an average of 30 to 50 in a week to 20 to 25 a week in the whole country.