MANILA, Philippines — Outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said on Monday that he is ready to step down from office if critics of the drug war could recommend a leader who can assure that no drug suspect will die in the government’s “Oplan Tokhang.”
This is after Dela Rosa said he can’t promise a hundred percent of “bloodless” crackdown against illegal drugs that relaunched by the government on Monday.
“We can’t control it that’s why there is a drug problem and we are trying to address this problem. On the way of addressing this problem, we also have to protect ourselves, preserve our own life and life of the stranger that’s why I cannot give you 100 percent or foolproof anti-drug campaign or bloodless campaign,” Dela Rosa said in mix Filipino and English.
“Give me one person who can do that, a commander who can do that and I am willing to give up my post if you can give me a person who will be successful in a “zero death” anti-drug operations, that’s impossible,” the PNP chief added.
Earlier, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBPB) President Romulo Valles called on the police to abide by the law especially in their anti-drug operations to ensure that there would be no “waste” of lives.
Human rights watchdogs already estimated 12,000 cases of supposed extrajudicial killings in the country in relation to the drug war.
However, according to the government’s #RealNumbersPH, there are only 6,309 deaths from July 2016 to January last year.
Dela Rosa also said that a “bloodless” campaign would only be achieved if drug suspects don’t do drugs and if they will not resist.
“We have to protect ourselves if the armed drug personality resisted. Don’t express violence. Don’t resist and we will achieve bloodless anti-drug operations,” he said.
Dela Rosa also stressed that members of the media, priests, and human rights advocates will be invited to join in the anti-drug operations to show credibility on their claims that they don’t have the intention to kill.