The Philippine National Police (PNP) defended the constitutionality of the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs, downplaying the Supreme Court’s claims that deaths in the drug war operations were state-sponsored.
“We maintain that the PNP campaign against illegal drugs is constitutional, legal and implemented in the interest of public safety,” PNP spokesman Chief Supt. John Bulalacao said.
He added that allegations that human rights are violated in the police operations “are part of the healthy democracy that the country has.”
The High Court said that the number of killed drug suspects indicated in the administration’s 2017 year-end report as among its accomplishments “may lead to the inference that these are state-sponsored killings.”
The Supreme Court has required the government to release all records related to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. In response to this, the PNP earlier said it is willing to give the Court the documents it is requesting but “not everything” as it may pose threat to uniformed men and civilians.
(DAILY NEWS ROUND UP FOR 04/ 13/18)