Bato on 13 drug suspects’ deaths: It happens

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said that in the anti-illegal drug operations performed by the police, deaths occur when suspects resist arrest.

“Mangyari at mangyari talaga ‘yan kapag magsipag ang ating mga pulis, ‘yung ating mga drug enforcement units na magtrabaho (That happens when our police work hard, if our drug enforcement units do their jobs),”he said.

Furthermore, the PNP Chief said that the media should see the gravity of the drug condition in the country.

“Huwag ninyong masyadong magtutok doon sa namatay, tutukan niyo ‘yung nahuli natin ngayon, sa isang araw ilang libo ang nahuhuli at ilang libo ang nag-su-surrender sa isang araw. Ganon katindi ang problema natin sa droga ngayon (Do not focus on the dead, you should focus on the suspects captured, in which in a day, thousands are nabbed and a thousand surrendered in that day. That is the gravity of our drug situation now),” Dela Rosa insisted.

On March 22, Bulacan Police Provincial Office head Senior Superintendent Romeo Camarat reported that 13 drug dealing suspects lost their lives in buy-buy operations by the police, which also arrested more than 100 others.

“Unfortunately, 13 of the suspects were killed when our officers fired in self-defense shortly after the suspects who were armed with concealed guns sensed they were being entrapped and started firing,” Camarat explained.

In October last year, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte ordered the PNP to step down from the drug war operations after criticisms of their controversial Oplan Tokhang.

(Read: PNP bids goodbye to ‘Tokhang’)

Before the year ended though, the PNP returned but is under the supervision of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). Dela Rosa earlier said that he wanted a less bloody campaign in the policemen’s comeback

(Read: PNP aims a ‘less bloody’ drug war upon return)