The Philippine National Police on Wednesday formed a board of inquiry to evaluate recent findings that poor communities were the most vulnerable in the government’s relentless campaign on illegal drugs.
PNP chief Oscar Albayalde also said that aside from the formation of a board of inquiry, they have created a special investigation task group on a regional level together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Albayalde denied they were coddling wealthy individuals, however.
“The poor are victimized because they are the market for drugs,” he said in Filipino in a radio interview.
Initial results of an inter-university study by the Ateneo School of Government showed that about 16 percent of individuals killed in drug-related incidents—particularly in police operations—from the period May 10, 2016 to Sept. 29, 2017 had low-income jobs.
“Lawyer and ASG non-resident research fellow Michael Henry Yusingco said anecdotal data also suggested the vulnerability of poor Filipinos during the same period in Quezon City,” the report said.
“Relatively poor barangays, or those with land values below the median in Quezon City, account for over 75 percent or three-fourths of drug-related killings in Quezon City,” the report quoted him as saying.
Unconfirmed statistics showed that there were 5,021 killings from May 10, 2016 to Sept. 29, 2017, of which 98 were tricycle drivers, 32 construction workers, 24 vendors, 19 jeepney barkers, 16 farmers, 12 jeepney drivers, 15 pedicab drivers and seven garbage collectors.
Most of those killed were male.
“We will study those statistics,” Albayalde said.
The province of Bulacan, Caloocan City, and Manila, which are densely populated, had the highest number of deaths in the drug war.
The National Capital Region was considered as the largest hotspot in drug-related killings during the first year of the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal campaign.
Albayalde said that police intelligence units continue to track down the supply of illegal drugs into the country, whether they are smuggled or locally produced.
In 2016, anti-narcotics agents seized some P10.6 million worth of drugs in a laboratory in Valenzuela City.
He said the campaign against illegal drugs would continue to bring positive results, as indicated by the improving peace and order situation.
President Rodrigo Duterte, meanwhile, said he is firm on a plan to arm barangay captains but will consult with his Cabinet members first.
“I will consult the Cabinet on my proposal to give them firearms. Maybe a 22 just to defend themselves,” Duterte said during the oathtaking of newly elected barangay captains in Zamboanga de Sur.
“You know, even a 22, I’m telling you as a lawyer, as a trial lawyer for so long a time, trying murder, homicide cases. Even 22, it’s like a screwdriver. If it enters your body—liver, gall bladder, pancreas or kidney. You only have 30 minutes, that’s true,” he said.
However, Duterte said he would not allow barangay officials to carry high-powered firearms.
At the same time, he said he would file charges against local officials who are deemed incompetent in keeping their areas safe and free from illegal drugs.
His remarks came as the Department of the Interior and Local Government said it has started an audit of local officials who are not doing well in the campaign against crime and illegal drugs.
In a radio interview, Interior officer-in-charge Eduardo Año said that they launched the “Bantay Kaagapay, Bantay Korapsyon,” a program aimed at identifying non-performing local executives, parallel to auditing their respective intelligence funds.
He said the scrutiny would start from governors and go down to barangay officials.
“The President wants local officials to be dedicated in their jobs and they don’t just fool around. Sad to say, some of them ran and won in the elections to protect their interests,” Año said in Filipino.
“I think it’s about time that we give genuine public service,” he added.