By FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD
Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), justified yesterday the buy-bust operation conducted by police in Tondo, Manila, which resulted in the death of three men last Wednesday.
The anti-drugs operation took place a day after President Duterte signed an executive order leaving the conduct of all anti-drug operations to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Police identified the drug suspects as Rolando “Rolly” Campo, 60; Sherwin Bitas, 34; and a certain “Kalbo”, who is in his 20s.
In an interview, Dela Rosa said the executive order or detail about the EO has not reach them prior to their conduct of police operation. Aside from that, there is no clear directive coming from the PNP headquarters.
“Hindi pa lumabas iyung executive order nung, hindi pa nakarating sa kanila iyung executive order nung ginawa nila iyung operation. Wala pang klarong directive galing dito sa aming headquarters,” Dela Rosa said.
Dela Rosa also said that as far as he is concerned, the operatives did not commit any violation regarding the directive of the Chief Executive. But if there were abuses during the conduct of their operation, they will have to face the consequences.
Dela Rosa also said that the public should give policemen the benefit of the doubt because not all of them are tuned in to television and listen to the radio to hear the President’s statements and directives.
“Hindi naman lahat ng pulis nakatutok sa TV, nakikinig sa radyo sa mga sinasabi ng president. Nasa field din sila, nagtratrabaho so sige lang. Pero itong mga susunod na araw na ito, very clear naman nakarating na sa kanila ang directive, violation na iyan kapag iyan ay kanilang gagawin,” he said.
