PNP to uphold protection of human life in campaign vs illegal drugs –Azurin

The Philippine National Police would continue to uphold the protection of human life in the government’s campaign against illegal drugs, PNP chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said on Sunday.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Azurin said that there should be a comprehensive study on the root cause of the country's drug problem.

“Kailangan pag-aralan din kung ano ang ugat kung bakit may nalululong o nasasangkot sa iligal na droga. Hindi ‘yung happy na tayo na nakakahuli na tayo ng kilo-kilong [droga] at may namamatay sa drug operation natin," said the PNP Chief.

(It is also necessary to study the root cause of why someone is addicted or involved in illegal drugs. We should not be satisfied with just seizing several kilos of drugs and that someone died in our drug operation.)

“While we do our jobs, we also try to preserve human life because killing is not the solution… kaya pag-aralan ang ugat kung bakit nangyayari ang mga krimen,” he added.

(While we do our jobs, we also try to preserve human life because killing is not the solution... so we need to study the root cause of why crimes happen.)

To improve the anti-illegal drugs campaign, Azurin said he would build relationships with different sectors of the community such as church leaders and barangay captains.

“Kailangan makipag-ugnayan ang pulisya sa mga barangay para malaman ang mga talamak na krimen sa lugar para agad na maagapan at mapigilan,” the PNP chief said.

(The police need to communicate with the barangays to find out about the crimes in the area so that they can be prevented immediately.)

“Totoong may separation of church and state but the Church leaders and goers are still part of the community kaya we need to build a relationship with all the sectors in the community,” he added.

(There is indeed a separation of church and state but the Church leaders and goers are still part of the community so we need to build a relationship with all the sectors in the community.)

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos earlier said that the drug war under President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. would be as intensive as the efforts of the previous administration.

Terrorism and rebellion

Meanwhile, Azurin said that thorough and intense intelligence work was needed to address the problems of terrorism and rebellion in the country.

“Yung terrorism and rebellion, of course, ang kailangan diyan ay matinding intelligence work with all the different intelligence communities,” he said.

“Ang isang solusyon diyan ay dapat alam ng mga barangay kung sino ang mga residente sa kanilang lugar at kung sino ang mga bago para malaman kung may kahina-hinalang mga tao na pumapasok sa kanilang lugar. At the same time, ay maghihigpit tayo sa mga airports at seaports para hindi tayo masalisihan ng mga terorista,” he continued.

(One solution to that is that the barangays should know who are residents in their area, and who are the newcomers. That way, they know if suspicious people are entering their area. At the same time, we will tighten security at airports and seaports so terrorists don't slip past us.)

Azurin also emphasized the importance of knowing why an individual joins an insurgency group and the government must exert efforts to get feedback whenever they decide to surrender.

“We need also to ask them bakit. Although we know the answer, we can speculate, there must be a deeper reason… like for example because of poverty, illiteracy, lack of development in their area. So, kailangan maiparating po natin yan sa lahat ng ahensya ng kinauukulan para matugunan ng gobyerno,” he said.

(We also need to ask them why. Although we know the answer, we can speculate, there must be a deeper reason... for example because of poverty, illiteracy, lack of development in their area. So, we need to convey that to all the concerned agencies so that the government can address it.)

“We need to ask them. And then ‘yung pinangaako po ba ng gobyerno ay naibibigay? We need to have feedback doon sa decision makers natin,” he added.

(We need to ask them. And are the government's promises being delivered? We need to have feedback for our decision-makers.)

In February 2021, then President Rodrigo Duterte issued four proclamations granting amnesty to members of rebel organizations and communist groups who committed crimes punishable under the Revised Penal Code and Special Penal Laws in connection with their political beliefs.

The amnesty, outlined in Presidential Proclamations 1090, 1091, 1092 and 1093, covered members of communist groups, Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The grant of amnesty requires admission of guilt on the part of beneficiaries and the concurrence of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. — DVM, GMA News