Illegal drugs syndicates in the country are currently embroiled in a violent war against one another, the reason behind the series of the extrajudicial killings in the past weeks.
This was disclosed by Director General Ronald dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), in response to queries of the rising number of extrajudicial killings which ride on the government’s anti-illegal drugs war.
“You will be surprised, this is not the handiwork of vigilantes,” dela Rosa told reporters in a presscon during yesterday’s command conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Dela Rosa’s revelation, according to him, is based on the investigation conducted amid the rising of the so-called vigilante killings which Senator Panfilo Lacson disclosed to be averaging 20 deaths a day.
More than 600 people were killed in legitimate police operations across the country but Lacson, in an interview on Monday, said the death toll is higher in the case of vigilante killings.
“These alleged vigilante killings, it turned out, is syndicated killings. Groups in illegal drugs,” said Dela Rosa.
The official vowed to disclose the full details of the findings of the Directorate for Investigation and Detection Group (DIDM) based on analysis of the extrajudicial killings and intelligence reports.
This includes the so-called “cardboard justice” wherein extrajudicial killing victims were being branded as drug pushers or users that must be liquidated.
“You will be surprised when we release the data, which include facts on who are killing one another,” said dela Rosa.
“We are just sorting this out because we have scientific evidence leading to that conclusion. You will know later,” said Dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa has expressed satisfaction on the outcome of the anti-illegal drugs operations, disclosing that they have periodic assessment of their gains. (AARON B. RECUENCO)