IN THEIR renewed campaign against drugs, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald dela Rosa said they will use the same approach they used under Oplan Tokhang and Oplan Double Barrel.
Dela Rosa said the Oplan Tokhang, especially, where policemen go house-to-house to encourage the drug personalities to submit themselves to the authorities.
“Yes (same approach on Oplan Tokhang) until final na decision ng Supreme Court maybe (depending on the decision) we will modify or totally scrap (Oplan Tokhang) but for now we will continue with what we used to do,” he said.
After at least two months of staying out of the government’s campaign to eradicate illegal drugs due to the order of President Rodrigo appointing the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) as the sole agency for the war on drugs, the PNP will again take part in the said campaign.
However, PDEA chief Aaron Aquino, who is a former police official, urged the PNP to terminate the use of Oplan Tokhang because it has been associated with “killings” of drug suspects who allegedly resisted arrest or "nanlaban."
Dela Rosa, however, said he was not convinced by Aquino’s suggestion because it would appear that they were "trying to deodorize something."
However, Dela Rosa said he ordered his men, particularly the new chief of PDEG, Senior Superintendent Albert Ferro, to ensure that the unit will not be include erring policemen who may take advantage again of the campaign.
Duterte suspended the PNP's lead role in the war on drugs twice after some policemen were implicated in the killing of drug suspects.
From July 1, 2016 until September 26, 2017, during the leadership of the PNP on the war on drugs, 76,863 anti-drug operations were conducted which resulted in the arrested of over 100,000 drugs personalities and the killing of at least 3,900 suspects. (SunStar Philippines)