Philippines puts anti-drug operation on hold to tackle rogue police

Record ID: 166505

  • Title: Philippines puts anti-drug operation on hold to tackle rogue police
  • Date: 30th January 2017
  • Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (JANUARY 30, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE HEADQUARTERS PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE SIGN (SOUNDBITE)(English/Filipino) PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE CHIEF, RONALD DELA ROSA, SAYING: "No more anti-drug operations. We have to focus our efforts towards internal cleansing. And by the time we cleanse our PNP (Philippine National Police), the President will determine that, and he will instruct us to go back to our war on drugs. But right now, no drug operations. Let us keep off drugs. Our focus is internal cleansing." DELA ROSA SHAKING HANDS WITH POLICE OFFICERS
  • Embargoed: 13th February 2017 09:36
  • Keywords: police drugs Ronald Dela Rosa Rodrigo Duterte operations internal cleansing
  • Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
  • City: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001619UYPX
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART AUDIO AS INCOMING
    Philippine police are suspending their anti-narcotics operation until they have cleansed their ranks of "scallywags", the chief of the force said on Monday (January 30), following the killing of a South Korean businessmen by rogue officers.
    The police campaign, dubbed "Oplan Double Barrel", which also includes "Tokhang", in which police go house to house knocking on doors in search of drug suspects, has claimed the lives of more than 2,000 suspected drug users and pushers.
    "No more anti-drug operations. We have to focus our efforts towards internal cleansing. And by the time we cleanse our PNP (Philippine National Police), the President will determine that, and he will instruct us to go back to our war on drugs. But right now, no drug operations. Let us keep off drugs. Our focus is internal cleansing," Philippine National Police chief Ronald Dela Rosa told police officers during a flag raising ceremony at their headquarters.
    Dela Rosa's pronouncement came a few hours after he said he would disband anti-drugs units following the kidnapping and killing of businessman Jee Ick-joo in the national police headquarters in October.
    Duterte had vowed on Sunday (January 29) to forge ahead with his war on drugs until the last day of his term.
    Dela Rosa said he does not know how long it will take to cleanse the police force, but will keep on working with relevant authorities to accomplish it.
    The anti-drug campaign has caused alarm in the West and rights groups accuse Duterte of turning a blind eye to a wave of alleged extrajudicial killings by police, mostly of low-level peddlers. Police deny this, claiming self-defence.
    Duterte said police officials who had been the subject of internal investigations should be reassigned to work in conflict zones.
    Fighting drugs and crime was the key platform of Duterte's election campaign, during which he promised to eradicate illicit drugs within six months. His term ends in 2022.
    He said he underestimated the depth of problem, and on Sunday promised the crackdown would continue until the end of his six-year presidency, and that criticism would not stop him.
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