PNP Chief Bato apologizes for public 'dissatisfaction' towards Duterte

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Wednesday apologized for the decline in satisfaction and trust ratings of President Rodrigo Duterte.

When asked about the president's decision to let the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) lead the war on drugs, Dela Rosa told reporters that the PNP felt "guilty" for the "dissatisfaction" towards Duterte.

"We feel guilty, kung totoo yung na-dissatisfied yung tao kay Presidente dahil sa war on drugs na ginagawa namin, we feel guilty. Kami pala ang dahilan bakit naging dissatisifed yung taumbayan kay Presidente dahil sa ginagawa naming war on drugs," Dela Rosa said.

"We are very guilty, sorry...kami ang nagbigay ng dissatisfaction sa mga tao towards the president," he added.

He was referring to the September 2017 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, in which there was an 18-point drop in Duterte's net satisfaction rating.

The SWS also released results of an earlier survey showing 54 percent of Filipinos believe that many suspects killed by the police did not really fight back, contradicting the police's claim that the suspects resisted arrest.

Meanwhile, in a memorandum signed on Tuesday, Duterte tasked the PDEA as the "sole agency" that would conduct anti-illegal drugs campaign and operations in accordance to Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Accordingly, the PNP, along with the National Bureau of Investigation, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Customs, and the Philippine Postal Office were instructed to relay all drug crime-related information/data they receive to the PDEA.

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

Now "hands-off" on drug crimes, Bato said the police force will focus on cracking down on motorcyle-riding hitmen.

“Yung riding-in-tandem, bantay kayo ngayon. Upakan namin kayo. Sige bumaril kayo ng bumaril diyan. 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.

“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.

Meanwhile, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino reiterated that they still had the support of the PNP should their help be requested. — BAP/KG, GMA News