The Philippine National Police has acknowledged the analysis of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on the more than 500 incidents of deaths and alleged violence in the campaign against illegal drugs.
“We respect the investigation conducted by the Commission on Human Rights as this task falls under its constitutional mandate,” PNP chief General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar said on Wednesday.
“But the main reason behind the investigation conducted by the CHR is the same reason why we coordinated with the Department of Justice for the review of the police operations relating to the campaign against illegal drugs,” he added.
Based on the CHR’s report, only 11 survived out of the 466 individuals who allegedly resisted arrest during police operations.
The human-rights body also stressed that at least 87 victims had mostly multiple gunshot wounds on different parts of the body and that there were signs that blunt force was allegedly used against those who died in the operations.
“We in the Philippine National Police would also want to know the truth because these allegations of human rights and extra-judicial killings that have been hounding us in more than five years have resulted in sweeping generalization that all our operations against illegal drugs are tainted with abuses,” Eleazar said.
“This is unfair to a number of our operatives who died and were wounded in the conduct of operations and this grossly ignores the fact that the efforts and sacrifices of our men on the ground have resulted in the unprecedented reduction of index crimes across the country,” he added.
The Department of Justice, with the PNP’s cooperation, has already started its investigation into the drug war deaths. An initial batch of 52 cases are already being checked by the National Bureau of Investigation for case buildup against some police personnel.
“The Philippine National Police remains focused on its commitment to transparency and accountability on this matter, and this is the reason why we are now working with the National Bureau of Investigation and will continuously coordinate with the DOJ for review of more of these cases,” the PNP chief said.
Meanwhile, Eleazar ordered the relief of a precinct commander in General Santos City who allegedly assaulted his men.
Reports reaching Camp Crame said that Capt. Nemecio Calipjo Jr., chief of Police Precinct 8 located at Barangay Tinagacan, allegedly punched and slapped four policemen assigned in his precinct.
“I have already directed the Regional Director, Police Regional Office 12 to immediately relieve Police Captain Nemecio Calipjo Jr. as commander of the General Santos City Police Precinct 8 while the investigation is being conducted against him,” Eleazar said.
One of the complainants alleged that the incident happened at around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday when Calipjo arrived supposedly drunk at the police precinct.
The complainant claimed the police precinct chief ordered his men to be at formation in front of the precinct, and while brandishing an M-16 rifle, allegedly started castigating and threatening to kill men.
Calipjo allegedly punched and slapped his subordinates while castigating them for about an hour and the rifle he was wielding even accidentally went off when he set it down.
It was claimed that the precinct commander was angry at his men for their alleged inaction on the concern brought to them by a resident close to Calipjo.
“All police commanders should set good leadership examples to their men and what Police Capt. Calipjo, based on the initial report I received, was clearly a breach of discipline and violation of PNP rules and regulations,” Eleazar said.