TWELVE cops were killed and 16 others were wounded in anti-illegal drugs operations since the Philippine National Police (PNP) started its intensified anti-narcotics campaign in July, an official said Monday.
Superintendent Arnel Esmaña, assistant chief of PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management moral and welfare division, said the policemen who were killed and wounded were the so-called "good cops" and were not the subject of the operations.
"Some of the operations were successful but there were casualties because of the resistance of criminals," Esmaña said.
"Patuloy ang pagsisikap ng PNP na ma-provide sila ng safety gears lalo na at massive and intensive ang enforcement ng operations," he added.
The latest casualty, Police Officer 1 Romeo Mandapat Jr., was killed in an anti-drugs operation in Caloocan City.
He was a front line cop but it was found out that he was not wearing a bulletproof vest during the operation.
PNP chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa, however, admitted the PNP lack safety equipment particularly bulletproof vest.
He also said that there are policemen who refuse to wear such safety gear due to discomfort.
"Inaamin ko naman 'yung pagkukulang namin. Kulang kami sa ganung gamit. Ngayon pagtutuunan ko 'yan ng pansin. Maghahanap ako ng pondo para pambili ng vest," he said.
Meantime, Dela Rosa said deaths among his men during law enforcement operations are unavoidable.
"Hindi mo talaga totally maiiwasan 'yan dahil giyera 'yan e. May bala ang pulis, may bala rin sila. Magpapalitan ng putok 'yan. May matatamaan talaga. That's the hazard of the profession. Alam natin na talagang delikado," he said.
From July 1 to September 19, the PNP said 1,152 drug suspects were killed, 17,759 were arrested and 715,393 drug personalities have surrendered.
PNP spokesperson Dionardo Carlos said the death of police personnel reflects on PNP's seriousness in its anti-illegal drugs campaign.
"Ipinapakita lamang nito na seryoso ang kampanya (ng PNP on anti-illegal drugs). We are trying to provide protective gear to our personnel," he said.
He stressed the PNP does not want the number of killed policemen or suspects to increase even more as the PNP was given additional time in their anti-illegal drugs campaign.
"We cannot control the number (of fatalities). If they (drug personalities) want to fight, we have no choice but to protect the people. 'Pag inilagay sa kapahamakan ang buhay ng pulis, poprotektahan namin ang aming sarili. Mas gusto namin na sumurender na lang (ang mga drug suspects)," he said.
"If they opt to fight it out we will fight them. We are losing policemen in this fight, there are lives being lost here but hindi dahil gusto namin, ang gusto namin ay mag-surrender sila," Carlos added. (Sunnex)