PNP on ‘rubbish’ drug war docs: We stand by the validity of these reports

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday maintained the validity of all its official reports following the claim of a lawyer's group that documents about the government's drug war were "rubbish."

"We stand by these reports despite how some quarters branded it according to how they perceive it and how it best serves their interest," PNP spokesman Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac said in a statement.

"We will continue to do our mandate to serve and protect," Banac added.

On Monday, the Center for International Law (Centerlaw), which is challenging before the Supreme Court (SC) the Duterte administration's campaign on illegal drugs, claimed that the reports submitted by the police and the Office of the Solicitor General were not even connected to the anti-drug campaign.

In a new manifestation and motion, the Centerlaw asked the SC to order the OSG and the PNP to explain why they should not be declared in direct contempt of court for turning in case records that were mostly unrelated to drugs.

In a television interview, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) spokesman Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said he was surprised with the claim of Centerlaw, noting that around 300 lawyers in the OSG were meticulous in preparing those reports.

Centerlaw has said an examination of 107 of 289 submitted CDs and DVDs showed that "an overwhelming number of death incidents submitted by the OSG and PNP are non-drug related cases." — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News