Bato says PNP to crack down on ‘riding-in-tandem’ killers

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will now focus on running after motorcyle-riding hitmen, PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said on Wednesday.

Dela Rosa made the remark after President Rodrigo Duterte tasked the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to lead his war on drugs.

At the sidelines of the Senate debate on the proposed 2018 budget for the Department of Interior and Local Government, including the PNP, Dela Rosa said that the PNP will now focus on “internal cleansing” and “riding-in-tandem.”

“Yung riding-in-tandem, bantay kayo ngayon. Upakan namin kayo. Sige bumaril kayo ng bumaril dyan. I will instruct my policemen na tutukan ang riding-in-tandem na yan dahil yan ang gumagawa ng masama…tapos isisi sa pulis,” Dela Rosa told reporters.

“Bantay kayo ngayon. Wala na kaming war on drugs, wala na kami sa drugs, hands off kami. Kayo ngayon ang pa-project-in namin. Bantay kayo,” he added.

In a memorandum signed October 10, Duterte told law enforcement agencies, including the PNP, as well as all ad hoc task forces, that the PDEA would be the “sole agency" to conduct anti-illegal drugs campaign and operations.

The PNP, meanwhile, “shall, at all times, maintain police visibility.”

Dela Rosa said the PNP will follow the President’s order. ‘

“Hayahay na kami ngayon. You can just imagine, finocus namin halos 100 percent of the resources of the PNP for the last year, finocus namin lahat sa war on drugs. Nandoon lahat naka-focus; so we can now focus on other crimes,” the PNP chief said.

But Dela Rosa recalled the supposed clamor of the public to return the anti-drug operations back to the PNP when it was suspended early this year.

“Ang clamor ng mga tao, ibalik ang PNP dahil nagkalat yung mga adik at mga pusher sa kanilang mga barangay. Most likely, kung mangyari yung ganun, eh bahala na kayo, you solve the problem,” he said.

Duterte removed the PNP from the anti-illegal drug campaign in January after the killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo by alleged members of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group inside the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame. —NB, GMA News