By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
After being plagued for months by thousands of deaths of suspects who supposedly resisted arrest since the onset of President Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs, it is truly pleasing to learn of an anti-drug operation that resulted in the successful apprehension of the wrongdoers without any loss of life.
An undercover cop among the joint operatives from the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) purchased a sachet of shabu worth R20,000 from Marc Dytioco, 36, and Iris Caraan, 40, around 3 a.m. on Masbate Street in Barangay Nayong Kaunlaran. The police said Dytioco had already been under surveillance for quite some time.
During the transaction, however, the suspects allegedly sensed that they were dealing with a cop. They sped off in their white BMW car in an attempt to escape. A 15-minute chase ensued and ended only when the cops’ car rammed the suspects’ vehicle.
Apart from the marked money used in the transaction, the suspects reportedly yielded several sachets of shabu with a street value of P125,000.
Apparently, the two were no small-time dealers based on the amount of the confiscated shabu and the type of car they rode.
The suspects should be thankful that they are still alive after the operation.
Not only should the QCPD under Chief Superintendent Guillermo Lorenzo “Guilor” Eleazar should be commended. There are many other anti-drug operations in Metro Manila and other parts of the country that end up successful and without any loss of life.
Firing Line fully supports the government’s campaign against illegal drugs which have destroyed the lives of countless men, women, and children – our country’s future.
What this corner disapproves of are the not so few cases of police scalawags who abuse their power by assassinating targets and without any regard to “collateral damage”. These are young victims whom policemen made it appear that they shot it out with arresting officers even though they were unarmed and not peddling drugs.
To this day, a lot of people still doubt if all the suspects who perished in anti-drug stings were truly armed and resisted arrest and if some supposedly legitimate operations were actually “scripted”.
Can anyone blame them?
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