CHR sees ‘improvement’ in Oplan Tokhang

FILE: Philippine National Police personnel on December 31 at the National Headquarters (Photo: Philippine National Police/Facebook)

Following the Philippine National Police (PNP) relaunch of “Oplan Tokhang,” the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Monday admitted that they are seeing an “improvement” on the police’s efforts to make its anti-illegal drugs campaign less bloody.

CHR spokesperson Jackie de Guia said that there’s an undeniable improvement in the number of deaths related to the police operation. However, she said that they are still looking forward to totally “bloodless” illegal drugs campaign.

“Yes, we cannot discount the fact that there’s an improvement from last year,” de Guia said in an interview on Unang Balita.

De Guia also expressed hopes that the Oplan Tokhang under the PNP would be similar to that of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) which was conducted in line with the rule of law.

“We hope that it will be a total improvement so that it will be really a bloodless campaign and maisusulong nila ‘yung [they will push for the] RA (Republic Act) 1965 tulad ng isinagawa ng PDEA nang maayos at inu-uphold ang rule of law [like what the PDEA properly did, where the rule of law was upheld],” she added.

However, de Guia said that it is still “very premature” for the CHR to further comment on the PNP’s revived “Oplan Tokhang” since it just restarted in late January.

PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa earlier said that the demanded bloodless Tokhang is impossible. However, he vowed to make it “less bloody” in 2018.

“I am willing to give up my post if you can show me someone who will succeed in the anti-drug [campaign] with no deaths. That’s impossible. That’s baloney,” Dela Rosa said.

“All we can do is give you the assurance that we will do everything to make this anti-drug campaign less bloody because we are not dealing with people in their right minds,” he added.