Three years after the drug war was launched, the Philippine National Police (PNP) will be modifying its aggressive campaign against illegal drugs, this time, focusing on the supply side.
PNP spokesman Col. Bernard Banac said the modified drug war is expected to start this month and will be shift the operation mainly on drug syndicates and drug traffickers who serve as the sources of the shabu which is continuously being peddled on the streets.
“This will be our focus since what we have seen in the past is that despite the Oplan Tokhang and Oplan Double Barrel, there are still people who are engaged in peddling illegal drugs,” said Banac in an interview over dzBB.
“We really have to focus on the supply side because despite our aggressive campaign, there is still plenty of supply of illegal drugs. So what we have to stop is the network of the supply of illegal drugs,” he added.
Oplan Tokhang was launched in July 2016 and was re-launched as Oplan Double Barrel several months later, or at the height of criticisms that the government is only running after the small fry, or ordinary illegal drug users and pushers.
Under Oplan Double Barrel, both the street-level drug pushing and the high-value targets are being pursued.
More than 6,000 suspected drug pushers and users were killed in various police operations since July 2016. But critics said the number of drug war casualties is higher since it does not include those killed by drug-war inspired vigilante groups which allegedly killed thousands more.
Banac clarified that the PNP does not intend to kill more illegal drugs personalities, saying it was just that some of the drug personalities would always fight back.
In fact, he said the PNP is also suffering casualties from the drug war through almost a hundred policemen who died in police operations and several others injured.
“So what we would focus on is the source of the illegal drugs so that we could stop the distribution of illegal drugs at the street level,” said Banac.
But Banac said the street-level operation will continue. (Aaron Recuenco)
