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KILLED, ARRESTED, HAVE SURRENDERED

PNP already reached 40% of target 1.8M drug users, pushers


The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said it has already reached at least 40 percent of the target 1.8 million drug users and pushers as it nears the third month of the implementation of Project Tokhang.

Data from different regional offices showed that 731,127 drug suspects or 40.618 percent of the target have been killed, arrested or have surrendered as a result of the government's intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

It said 1,506 drug suspects have been killed while 16,891 have been arrested in 17,992 operations conducted as of 6 a.m. of September 14.

Meanwhile, 712,730 drug suspects have surrendered, of which 659,868 were users and 52,862 were pushers.

Police have also visited 968,694 houses under Project Tokhang, where policemen knock on the house of a suspected drug user or pusher and plead for their surrender.

President Rodrigo Duterte, a former mayor of Davao City known for his tough anti-crime stance, won the presidency in May promising to wipe out drugs and drug dealers. Althoughe his campaign has won popular support, the killings have alarmed human rights groups and brought expressions of concern from the United States and the United Nations.

Intensified efforts

PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa earlier ordered his men to "quadruple" their efforts in order to fulfill President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign promise of eradicating illegal drugs within the first three to six months of his administration.

"We are now running out of time, two months have passed already. In the remaining four months, I hope we will not only double, triple, or quadruple our efforts in order to hit the target. Otherwise, as I have said, we cannot afford to fail the Filipino people," he said.

He also said he is "worried" that the PNP would not be able to meet its target of making 1.8 million drug users surrender.

"Nagwo-worry nga kami dahil after we reached 600,000 plus, nag-plateu na kami. Hindi na umaakyat yung number of nag-surrender. Kaya worried ako baka hindi ma-meet yung 1.8 million na mag-surrender," he said.

The 1.8 estimated drug users and pushers were based on data from the Dangerous Drugs Board, he said.

Meanwhile, the PNP is investigating the killings of 1,571 people recorded as of 8 a.m. of September 14, including those whose bodies were found with cardboards stating that they were drug pushers or users. —KBK, GMA News

Tags: warondrugs
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