PNP assures no Mexico-like drug killings in PH

By AARON RECUENCO

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) does not see a scenario of drug dealers organizing them­selves into groups and fight back at law enforcement agencies hunt­ing them down.

PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said the pos­sibility of a Mexico-type situ­ation in the county, wherein drug syndicates are brazenly engaging in executions of po­licemen and other government people, is unlikely in the Philip­pine setting.

“We don’t see something like that. I think with our offensive, we will maintain our offensive,” said Albayalde.

“This is what is good on what we do. We maintain our offen­sive kaya sabi nga sa basketball the best defense is offense so we will not relent on our cam­paign against illegal drugs,” he added,

Albayalde made the state­ment following the death of five agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in an ambush in Lanao del Sur last week.

The initial investigation points to local drug dealers who were af­fected by the aggressive campaign against illegal drugs in Lanao del Sur and nearby areas as the pos­sible suspects.

The PDEA agents were on their way back to their office after attending a program for drug surrenderees when they were waylaid in Kapai town. Another PDEA agent and a civilian em­ployee of the local police were wounded.

“We have already persons of in­terest. We are monitoring a group. There are indications that this is related to anti-drugs campaign in the area,” said Albayalde.

He added that they are also looking into the possibility that some narco-politicians are also involved in the attack.

Albayalde said he had already relieved the policemen who were supposed to escort the PDEA agents and subject all of them to investigation.

“All of the policemen are now under custody. They were all relieved from their posts,” said Albayalde.

Earlier, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino vowed justice on the death of five of his men and even criticized why the local po­lice in the area did not escort the ambushed PDEA agents.

What he wants to know in the investigation, according to Albay­alde, is if the cops intentionally abandoned the PDEA agents.

This, as the initial report re­vealed that the car of the PDEA agents overtook their vehicle and that they were not able to respond since they were just armed with short firearms.