Albayalde disputes report of Human Rights Watch

April 18, 2018

Incoming Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde said Wednesday a statement of Human Rights Watch that the government's war on drugs has a "sordid" record unmatched since the Marcos dictatorship.

"This is just a battle of perception. Who are saying this? These are just a few sectors. Why don't they get the pulse of our people in the community?," said Albayalde, who will assume the top PNP post from Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Thursday, in a TV interview.

Human Rights Watch claimed 12,000 were killed, mostly from the urban poor, when the war on drugs was launched in July 2016.

Albayalde, the current National Capitol Region Police Director, said the PNP never tolerated abuses in police operations.

"Everytime our soliders and policemen have operations, some will say there are human rights violation," he said. "In the first place, we do not tolerate any irregularity or violation."

Albayalde said in the killings that took place in Caloocan last year,  Dela Rosa did not order us to hide the policemen and give them positions later.

"The policemen were charged. They are all in jail and not even the president said he will tolerate this," Albayalde added.

Albayalde said the improvement in peace and order is "unprecedented". "I think this is what our critics should look instead of the deaths," he said.  "Even the Commission on Human Rights says no human rights violation by the AFP and PNP has been proven."

He said it will depend on President Rodrigo Duterte whether to allow the release of PNP records on the war on drugs.

It will depend on the decision  of the commander in chief of course," said Albayalde. " We also take orders from the commander in chief but then again these have been prepared.  These are all public documents. It's in the blotter. It's in the spot report."

Albayalde said he knows what Dela Rosa felt when he assumed the post as PNP director general.

" As I said, I will face it as it comes but I am feeling what Chief PNP Dela Rosa felt before he assumed the post. First, there are expectations from our countrymen. We have to support what the president promised to people. There is pressure on the job and pressure from your (Philippine Military Academy) classmates. That is another thing," said Albayalde. DMS