No casualties in relaunch of anti-drug campaign: PNP

February 2, 2018

No casualties were recorded as nearly 800 drug suspects surrendered during the relaunch of Oplan Tokhang this week, a spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Friday.

From Jan. 29 to Feb 1, a total of 2,127 activities resulted in the surrender of 821 suspected drug personalities nationwide.

“No casualties were recorded as of the fourth day of Tokhang activities in 17 regions around the country,” Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao said in a press conference.

Majority of those who surrendered were in Northern Mindanao with 424 and Zamboanga Peninsula with 318.

The PNP relaunched last Monday Tokhang, which means knock and plead in Filipino. It was suspended  last year following allegations of irregularities by police scalawags, which resulted in deaths of thousands, including a South Korean businessman.

A change in the relaunched campaign are that it must be done 8 am to 5 pm, five days a week.

On the latest survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS) drug users in Visayas and Mindanao increased by three percentage points each, Bulalacao said:“We take it as a challenge and we will intensify our anti-drug efforts in those areas,” he said. DMS