PNP says only 4,251 drug suspects killed in 21 months

A total of 4,251 drug personalities have been killed and more than 140,000 have been arrested in the Duterte administration's drug war, officials reported Monday morning.

At a briefing in Camp Crame, police officials and communications officials of Malacañang presented the latest data based on the government's #RealNumbersPH.

National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Camilo Cascolan, who authored the Philippine National Police's (PNP) Oplan Tokhang and Oplan Double Barrel, presented the data based on a total of 98,799 anti-drugs operations conducted since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office until Apr. 30, 2018.

Cascolan said they are releasing the "score cards towar drug-free Philippines" to "avoid confusion and seek a comprehensive data" on the Duterte administration's drug war.

PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde last month urged the European Parliament to show its basis on its claim that 12,000 people have been killed in the government's drug war.

Cascolan, meanwhile, said that side from those who "died" during the operations, a total of 142,069 drug personalities were arrested.

The latest data showed that a total of 176 drug personalities were killed from March 20 to April 30 this year.

The number of arrested suspects, meanwhile, increased by 18,421.

In a statement read before the numbers were presented, Albayalde said the PNP has been "relentless and uncompromising throughout the entire period that we were given a new lease on waging this campaign with greater efficiency, and with fewer violent confrontations between law enforcers and offenders.”

“There has been no let-up in the anti-illegal drugs campaign. All PNP anti-illegal drugs efforts remain active and operational on a national scale and further cascaded as a strategy translated into operational and tactical terms by lower units down the line,” Albayalde said.

Still based on the latest #RealNumbersPH, a total of 302 of the PNP's personnel have tested positive for illegal drugs, eight were non-uniformed personnel while 265 have been dismissed from the service.

Seized shabu increased by 2.14 percent or 2,676.60 kilograms with a street value of P13.81 billion or an increase of ?351.08 million.

The number of government workers arrested in anti-drug operations has climbed to 504. Of this number, 239 were government employees, 217 are elected officials and 48 are uniformed personnel.

Data from the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management on the anti-illegal drugs campaign showed that 75,336 cases were referred to prosecution while 49,034 cases have been filed in court.

The PNP did not say how many of those facing drug charges have been convicted and cleared. —ALG/RSJ, GMA News