PNP hopes for more arrests in anti-drug operations

March 11, 2017

At least 300 suspects were arrested by the Philippine National Police as it resumed its war on illegal drugs and a senior official is hoping it stays that way, “Yes, for as long as they don’t turn violent,” said Director Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, head of the PNP Directorate for Operations.

However,  a total of 13 suspects were killed after they allegedly fought back.

Project Double Barrel: Reloaded, which began on Monday,  reported a total of 331 suspected drug personalities were captured in 212 police anti-drug operations nationwide, according to the PNP Public Information Office.

14 persons, composed of one pusher and 13 users  surrendered.

PNP  Director General Ronald dela Rosa earlier pledged less bloodshed.

"This time we will make sure it will be less bloody if not bloodless," he said.

Dela Rosa said the newly-formed PNP Drug Enforcement Group (DEG) would be composed of officers with no record of corruption and other forms of illegal activities. Dela Rosa had said scalawags took advantage of the anti-drug campaign to extort and kidnap.

Before the government ordered the PNP to suspend its anti-drug operations after a South Korean businessman was abducted and killed at national police headquarters,  a total of 2,555 suspects had been killed and 53,025 arrested in 43,593 operations from July 2016 last year to January 2017.  Around 1.8 million surrendered. DMS