Incoming PNP chief stresses need to obey SC order on drug war reports

Incoming Philippine National Police head and outgoing National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Oscar Albayalde on Friday emphasized that the  PNP needs to comply with the Supreme Court's order to submit reports on the campaign against illegal drugs.

In a video conference in Quezon City, Albayalde said when asked to comment on the SC order for the police to submit anti-drug operations report, "Yes of course kautusan 'yan ng kataas-taasang hukuman, kailangan talagang mag-comply diyan."

"Although inaayos lang siguro yung papers, I don't know what's the national headquarters is doing pero as of this time, as the regional director, kung talagang ako pasasabmitin ng lahat ng documents coming from the NCRPO, magsa-submit naman talaga kami," he added.

Earlier, the PNP said it needed to seek the legal guidance of the Office of the Solicitor General before turning over the documents the SC is asking.

"The PNP respects the Resolution of the Supreme Court but will take the legal recommendation of  the Solicitor General on the matter," PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao said in a statement.

The SC has denied Solicitor General Jose Calida's motion for reconsideration against the court's December 2017 order to submit drug war reports.

SC spokesman Theodore Te said that the high court has directed the government, including PNP chief Director General Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, to turn in the reports within 15 days from notice.

Last December, the SC asked the government to submit a list of persons killed in legitimate police operations from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2017; list of deaths under investigation within the same period; list of Chinese and Filipino-Chinese drug lords who have been neutralized; and list of drugs involved whether shabu, cocaine, marijuana, opioids, etc.; and comparative tables on index crimes.

Also, The SC wants to obtain from the PNP the following:

• statistics of internal cleansing within the police force;
• drug watch list in affected areas;
• reports and documents regarding alleged drug war victims Aileen Almora, Rowena Aparri, and Jefferson Soriano;
• pre- and post-operation reports in all the incidents cited in the petition filed by Sister Ma. Juanita Daño's group;
• number of buy-bust incidents in San Andres Bukid, Manila from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2017;
• list of warrants and warrantless arrests in high-value target police operations; and
• list of cases under investigation under the PNP's Internal Affairs Service.

In his appeal, Calida said submitting these documents will compromise ongoing police anti-drug operations and put at risk the lives of informants.

He said the documents involve information and other sensitive matters that could spell the success or failure of follow-up operations of policemen and other law enforcement bodies, and endanger the lives of individuals who are on the list and those already under custody.

President Rodrigo Duterte's war on illegal drugs has been criticized by some quarters for the deaths of hundreds of drug suspects in police operations.

Some groups opposed to Duterte's bloody war on drugs have claimed that the death toll has breached the 10,000 mark, even suggesting that it has already reached genocidal proportion. —LBG, GMA News