Albayalde to EU lawmakers: Show basis on 12,000 deaths in drug campaign

Newly-installed Philippine National Police chief Director General Oscar Albayalde on Friday said the European Parliament should show basis on its allegation that around 12,000 were killed in the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

During his first press briefing in Camp Crame after being appointed as the 22nd PNP chief, Albayalde said he does not know where the lawmakers got their data from. 

“Hindi natin alam kung san nila nakuha yung data nila na more than 12,000. We really do not know if they can give us yung details of those sinasabi nilang 12,000, and then probably, we’ll be able to check kung talagang totoo yung data nilang 'yon, dahil napakalaki no’n,” Albayalde said after the body adopted a resolution critical of the political situation in the country.

“Bloated kung pagmasdan mo, hindi namin alam kung galing...Meron kasing nagsasabi, may 7,000 ngayon 12,000 nanaman, baka mamaya bukas makalawa nasa 20,000 na 'yan, hindi natin maintindihan no,” he added.

Albayalde also echoed the sentiment of the previous PNP leadership, saying the police force have been transparent during their operations.

“No less than yung Commission on Human Rights nga sinabi niya na wala pa silang mapatunayan na there is EJK actually na nangyari, magmula nung nagsimula o umupo yung ating pangulo o magmulo nung nag-start tayo dito sa war on drugs natin,” Albayalde said.

“Hindi natin alam yung basis ng accusations, I think they have to give us a copy kung saan nila nakuha yung 12,000 na 'yon. Kung talagang isa-isahin nila, kung sino-sino yung sinasabi nilang 12,000 incidents na 'yon, o 12,000 victims,” he said.

The European Parliament had called on the Philippine government to immediately end its campaign against illegal drugs. The campaign, the group claimed, has resulted in the deaths of around 12,000 men, women, and children.

The resolution also called for the release from detention of Senator Leila de Lima, the removal of United Nations Special Rapporteur Victoria Tauli-Corpuz from a government list of individuals with links to the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military arm, the New People’s Army. 

Earlier, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said that the European Parliament has “crossed a red line when it called for unwarranted actions against the Philippines.”

“This resolution that the European Parliament just adopted is based on biased, incomplete and even wrong information and does not reflect the true situation on the ground,” he said. — RSJ, GMA News