NCRPO chief says not all those who surrendered stayed away from drugs

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Oscar Albayalde on Friday said the drug suspects who surrendered to authorities but were still killed in police operations were those who returned to their illegal activities.

"'Yung iba ang ginawa nag-surrender, akala nila mabubura sila doon sa listahan. Porke nag-surrender sila akala nila puwede nang ulitin or gawin ulit 'yung kanilang ginagawa. Hindi po ganun 'yan,” he told reporters in an interview.

Albayalde was reacting to the results of the latest Social Weather Stations survey showing  that 63 percent of Filipinos believe there are suspects in the illegal drug trade who were killed despite surrendering. 

Albayalde said the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign does not stop with the surrender of drug suspects. He said the police still validate if the suspects indeed stopped their illegal activities after surrendering.

"There is validation being conducted at per validation itong mga taong ito hindi naman sila tumigil. So talagang in-operate pa rin sila ng ating mga police operatives," he said. 

As of July 26, 2017, a total of 1,308,078 drug personalities have surrendered under Oplan Tokhang, the government's intensified anti-illegal drug campaign. Meanwhile, 3,850 drug suspects were killed in police operations from July 1, 2016 to September 15, 2017.

Albayalde said the return of some drug surrenderers to their illegal activities may be due to failure of government to provide them with rehabilitation program.

"Unang-una palagi nating sinasabi na ‘yung mga nag-surrender, nakita nila parang wala silang nakitang programa na naialok ng mga  local government units, probably 'yun rehabilitation program, 'yung skills development, even 'yung counseling, kaya 'yung iba bumalik," he said.

PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Dionardo Carlos said the police organization respects the survey and the responses of the public based on existing perception at the time when the survey was conducted.

“It will serve as a challenge for the PNP to deliver the facts and the true and complete information,” he said. —KBK, GMA News