President Duterte has said he will release to the public documents that show the involvement of some police officers in the illegal drugs trade that has caused his drug war to become unsuccessful.
Duterte admitted that he cannot control the illegal drugs trade in the country, even if drug personalities are getting killed during operations.
In a speech during the proclamation rally of the administration party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan in Malabon City, Duterte said the involvement of some policemen in the illegal drugs trade has caused his campaign against illegal drugs to fail.
The President said that he will release the documents which will prove that some police officers are involved in the illegal drugs trade.
“Ilalabas ko ‘yung dokumento bukas (Wednesday). Iyong paano maglaro ang pulis sa droga, ‘yung mga opisyal; at bakit hindi mahinto-hinto,” Duterte said. “Bakit naman ‘yung mga pulis noon naka-assign sa anti-drugs hanggang ngayon sa anti-drugs pa rin. Kaya pinaglalaruan ang Pilipino,” he added.
Duterte also said he is hoping that the information obtained since the time of Ronald dela Rosa, an administration senatorial bet who was a former Philippine National Police chief, would be helpful to lawmakers.
The President denied anew claims that police officers are being paid by the government to kill drug suspects. He said that he has nothing to do with the involvement of cops in the killing of suspects in the illegal drugs trade.
“Pati ako idinawit na may inutusan daw ako ng P5 million para patayin ‘yung… P***** i** bakit ako magbayad ng P5 million? Trabaho ninyo ‘yan,” Duterte said. “Kaya mabuti ‘yan nauna – ilalabas ko kung – ‘pag magpa-interview ako. Ilabas ko ‘yung tunay na istorya. Hindi ako sumasali,” he added.
Amnesty International in 2017 reported that policemen are being paid P8,000 to P15,000 per illegal drugs personality killed in the anti-drug campaign. It said in the report that no cash incentives were given for arrests made.
The President denied this, explaining that millions of intelligence funds are being devoted for police anti-drug operations but said they were used by undercover cops for their buy-bust operations.
Duterte said that the funds were likely being pocketed by corrupt police. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)