By MARTIN A. SADONGDONG
A total of 4,279 drug suspects were killed while 143,335 more were arrested in the national government’s campaign against illegal drugs as waged by President Duterte since 2016.
The latest data was revealed at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City during the second year anniversary celebration of the #RealNumbersPH, a forum organized by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and other government agencies in May 2016 to give “real numbers” on the drug war.
The data, recorded by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) from July 1, 2016 to May 15, 2018, noted a 0.66 percent and 0.89 percent increase respectively based on the previous update given to the media as of April 30.
According to Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar, all the other data which were not released by the #RealNumbersPH could be considered as “fake news.”
“These are the real numbers of what we need to know and work on; all else, other than these, are either false, manufactured or fake,” Andanar said.
However, various human rights group here and abroad dispute the data being provided by the #RealNumbersPH, saying the number of persons killed have already reached 12,000.
Authorities have challenged the rights groups to provide information of all the 12,000 killed persons they were claiming.
Other data
The forum also revealed that law enforcement agencies have conducted 99,485 anti-illegal drugs operations resulting to the arrest of 241 government employees, 217 elected officials and 48 uniformed personnel.
Furthermore, 180 drug dens and 12 clandestine laboratories have since been dismantled which translates to the seizure of P20.77 billion worth of illegal drugs – R14.34 billion or 2,678.61 kilos of which were methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.
Rehabilitation efforts lacking?
However, the effort of the national government to rehabilitate drug surrenders apparently needs to be strengthened.
The forum showed 189,816 drug surrenderees graduated from recovery and wellness programs by the PNP and other supported community centers nationwide, a far number from the 1.3 million drug surrenderers recorded by the PNP since 2016.
PNP Deputy Director General Ramon Apolinario assured that the PNP “is now undertaking interventions” to help in the rehabilitation of drug surrenderers.
He also reported that the over-all crime volume across the country has decreased by 18.42 percent from January to April 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.
“We will maintain this momentum, if not surpass the achievements of the past months as we intensify our anti-crime strategies and campaign against illegal drugs,” said Apolinario, who represented PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde.
Aside from the PCOO, other agencies involved in the #RealNumbersPH include the PNP, Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Department of Justice (DOJ), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB).
Representatives from different agencies, youth sector, non-government agencies, overseas Filipino workers and bloggers, among others attended the second year anniversary celebration of the #RealNumbersPH.
