PNP says most fatalities on the over 7,000 deaths are “regular crimes”

January 25, 2017

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said most fatalities recorded since the war on drugs by the Duterte administration began last year are regular crimes.

“Let's clarify it, there are over 7,000 deaths. The 2,500 deaths were (recorded) because of putting the lives of these officers in danger. We have to protect ourselves so we can protect the greater majority of the public,” Philippine National Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Dionardo Carlos said in a TV interview.

“The 4,000 cases murdered these are regular crimes. These are not immediately connected with the war on drugs. These deaths under investigation, these are murder cases pending investigation,” Carlos said.

“These are murder cases happening in the streets. If we look at the data, the task force is looking at the different extra judicial killings they found out there are only 685 cases that are connected with the war against drugs,” Carlos added.

Carlos said the victims are drug personalities or has background on illegal drugs while the suspects are possible members of drug syndicates or hired by drug syndicates.

“These were all happening when we had a campaign against illegal drugs. Their network, the underlings, street pushers, if they don't pay back or give the proceeds of the sale of the drugs in two weeks the gun hires being sent by the higher up and they were also trying to stop them,” he said.

“At the start of the program they were trying to stop the underlings to point to them as the upward members of the syndicate,” he added.

Amid the growing number of deaths in government’s war against illegal drugs, Carlos  admitted that there are rogue policemen who take advantage of President Rodrigo Duterte’s support to the drug campaign of the PNP.

“Well, I’ll be very frank with you, yes there are. These are the rogue cops that we still have in our ranks and we are taking them away,” he said.

“Just to clarify the instruction of the president on day one, July one the commander in chief said do your job right and you will have my backing,” he added.

“So he (Duterte) did not say you start doing something, shenanigans and all these criminals act and I will support you. No, the commander in chief will support us if we do our job right just like what the chief PNP is doing,” Carlos said. Robina Asido/DMS