TWO months after Oplan Tokhang 2: Project Double Barrel Reloaded was launched, the government significantly improved its performance in the campaign against illegal drugs, the Interior department said in a statement Monday.
Assistant Secretary Epimaco Densing III said the death toll from drug-related police operations went down to 2 percent from the 5.3 percent during the initial implementation of Oplan Tokhang.
“We have noted a sharp decrease in the number of deaths during police operations,” Densing said. “Before, one drug suspect died in every 20 police operations because they fought back and endangered the lives of our operatives. This time, only one suspect lost his life in every 50 operations.”
Densing made his statement even as Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada fired five members of the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau after they were found positive for drug use.
They were part of the 240 MTPB enforcers who were subjected to a surprise drug test on April 24.
“Government work is serious business. We have no room for drug addicts,” Estrada said.
Densing said Oplan Tokhang 2 was “a lot better” than the initial Oplan Tokhang implementation that recorded 1,665 deaths (5.3 percent) out of the 31,200 operations from July to September 2016.
He said there were only 183 deaths (2 percent) out of the 9,353 anti-drug operations from March 6 to May 5, 2017 during Oplan Tokhang 2.
He rejected previous reports that the death toll related to the anti-drug campaign had reached 7,000.
Chief Supt. Dennis A. Siervo of the PNP Human Rights Affairs Office said the PNP was strictly observing the principles of self-defense as articulated in the Article II of the Revised Penal Code.
Based on PNP records, 41 police officers died, 112 were wounded and 17 were dismissed from the service because of human rights violations during the last nine months.
“Rest assured that the PNP will continue to respect, protect and uphold human rights,” Siervo said.
“We likewise appeal to the public to help us in our goal of establishing a drug-free society.”
Densing and Siervo were part of the delegation from the government who recently presented the country’s anti-drug campaign to the representatives from 109 countries in Geneva. With Sandy Araneta
