“The proceedings are running on parallel tracks,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the other day, in response to reports of alleged abuses committed in some police operations against the drug menace in the country.
On one track, he said, is the President’s promise to protect policemen carrying out the campaign against drugs. On the other track, he said, is his declaration that he will not tolerate police abuses in the campaign and will deal severely with rogue cops.
The Malacañang spokesman was moved to point out the parallel-track policy in the wake of incidents indicating that some policemen may have taken advantage of the anti-drugs campaign – Tokhang – to carry out their own private operations.
When the number of deaths in the campaign started ballooning some months ago, reaching 6,000 in weeks, many of them attributed to “vigilante” killings, the Philippine National Police (PNP) led by its chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa was asked to account for the unnerving statistics in a hearing conducted in August by the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights then led by Sen. Leila de Lima.
Then came the killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo right in Camp Crame last October by men who had arrested him in his home in Angeles City, Pampanga, and demanded payment of R5-million ransom from his wife. This moved the Senate to call for another inquiry, this one by the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs headed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
At this hearing last Thursday, Lacson presented a video taken by CCTV (closed-circuit television) showing policemen planning illegal drugs in the office drawers of employees, followed by a police raid. The incident took place last October, Lacson said, but the victims were afraid to report the incident.
In the wake of these developments, it was reassuring to hear presidential spokesman Abella speaking on President Duterte’s anti-drugs campaign as running on parallel tracks – “One is he supports the police operations. Secondly, he will also not allow those who are rogue to go undealt with.”
The President himself apologized to South Korea and promised “maximum punishment” for the killers of businessman Jee.
In his usual colorful rhetoric, he addressed the killer: “You will suffer. Make an escape. Then I would thank the gods. Then I can maybe send your head to South Korea.”
The President has spoken. Those who may have taken advantage of the anti-drugs campaign to pursue their own selfish interests have been duly warned. We hope this will stop any further plans of rogue cops and save the anti-drugs campaign from spinning out of control.