PNP contests belief of Filipinos who do not believe drug suspects died during operations

December 23, 2019

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said the term “nanlaban” (resisted) has been stereotyped by people as 29 percent of Filipinos do not believe their claims that alleged drug suspects fought back which resulted in their death.

In a press briefing, Police Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa said that is the common thinking of Filipinos after it was used as criticism of the government’s campaign against illegal drug.

According to the latest Social Weather Station survey, despite the number of Filipinos who believed police are not telling the truth, a total of 79 percent of Filipinos are still satisfied with their “war on drugs”.

“We go to the favorable satisfaction of the Filipinos but it appears that the ‘nanlaban’ was stereotyped and then that’s what runs to the mind of Filipino but we would like to contest that because if you will see the real situation on the field, there are lesser deaths compared before,” Gamboa said.

“As a matter of fact, what I said is the PNP is geared towards accomplishing more on the high-value targets and all of you see that so maybe those who were interviewed (are) just stereotyped... but as of yet the real situation today is not so,” he added.

Gamboa said it just so happens that Filipinos find in the news deaths during police operations but they don't have a figure on how many drug suspects were arrested. 

“There were around more than 200,000 that were arrested and that's running ( ally),” he said.

Based on government’s data, from July 1, 2016 to November 30, 2019, a total of 5,552 alleged drug personalities died during operations.  Ella Dionisio/DMS