PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil yesterday said 312 policemen were killed and 974 others were injured in the line of duty during the bloody war on drugs of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Marbil also disclosed that 214 policemen are facing criminal charges in relation to the drug war, while administrative charges were filed against policemen during the six-year Duterte presidency.
Of the cops who were subjected to administrative investigations, 195 have been dismissed and 398 others, 20 of whom are detained, are still facing dismissal proceedings.
“Many officers endured not only physical harm but also found themselves entangled in legal and administrative challenges,” Marbil said, adding that the policemen who were killed and injured carried out their responsibilities with dedication and faced considerable risks to ensure the safety of the people.
He said that while the former president promised to support the policemen involved in the war against illegal drugs, there are no official records that would show that these commitments were fully realized.
In fact, he lamented, many of the cops faced the charges on their own.
“The numbers remind us that the impact of the anti-drug campaign was deeply felt by our police force as well,” Marbil said in a statement on Sunday as he underscored the need for stronger support and protection for law enforcement personnel.
Marbil said the PNP should not bear the sole responsibility for the outcome of the war against drugs, noting that policemen were equally affected.
“The data show that while civilians were affected, many officers also paid the price in various ways,” he said.
The previous administration’s campaign against illegal drugs have resulted in the death of thousands, many of whom reportedly fought it out with policemen.
Marbil said reforms are needed when it comes to law enforcement. “Our mission is to secure a safer Philippines through effective crime-fighting that respects human rights and dignity. Learning from these experiences, we aim to build a more balanced and humane approach to law enforcement,” he also said.
DOJ DRUG PROBE
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said the investigation into extrajudicial killings related to the war on drugs will cover killings even before the Duterte administration’s anti-drug crackdown.
DOJ Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said the probe would cover all EJK cases classified as murder or homicide, and which carry a 20-year statute of limitations under the country’s law.
“Lahat ng extrajudicial killings covered. Hindi naman siya particular na naka-pokus doon sa mga nangyari noong Duterte administration. Walang specific na kaso na tinitingnan, malaki or maliit for as long as there is a complaint (All extrajudicial cases are covered. The probe is not particularly focused on what happened during the Duterte administration. There is no specific case being looked at, whether it is big or small, as long as there is a complaint),” Vasquez told Teleradyo.
He said even those dubbed as “cold cases” will be reviewed and probed by the task force made up of state prosecutors from the National Prosecution Service and the National Bureau of Investigation as directed by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
Remulla has directed the task force, which was created last week, to submit its first progress report within 60 days of its creation.
“So, technically, you can go back 20 years from now sa lahat ng kasong nakabinbin diyan. Aaralin yan, kahit yung mga suspended, archived or cold cases para mabigyan ng buhay ulit at kung may matibay na ebidensya, ma-prosecute, masampahan ng kaso at mapanagot yung mga offenders kung sino man ang involved sa EJKs (So, technically, you can go back 20 years from now. They will study and review all the suspended, archived and cold cases, with the end view of, if there is enough evidence to prosecute, filing cases and ensuring that offenders involved in EJKs are prosecuted),” Vasquez said.
The task force, which was created on November 4, is mandated to investigate, build up cases, and, if warranted, file charges against perpetrators involved in the killings.
It is also instructed to coordinate with the quad committee of the House of Representatives and the Senate blue ribbon sub-committee which are also conducting parallel investigations on the drug war killings and other abuses. – With Ashzel Hachero
