MANILA, Philippines – Add Philippine celebrities to the list of people who want an audience with Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa.

“Meron namang ibang mga artista na tumawag sakin na gustong magpa drug test in front of me para i-prove nila na hindi talaga sila involved sa droga (There are celebrities who call me to say they want to take a drug test in front of me to prove that they really aren’t involved in illegal drugs),” Dela Rosa told media in General Santos City on Wednesday, August 31.

Dela Rosa leads the PNP in a government-wide effort to put a stop to – or at least suppress – the spread of illegal drugs. Among President Rodrigo Duterte’s key campaign promises in 2016 was to focus on eliminating crime, corruption, and illegal drugs.

The PNP chief declined to say who those celebrities were, but said they were eager to prove to him that they had no links to illegal drugs.

“In fairness, hindi ko sabihin ang mga pangalan ng artista na ‘yan pero may tumatawag sa akin na gusto nila… ‘Sir to prove na hindi ako sangkot, magpa drug test ako sa harapan mo.’ At para naman doon sa ibang artista rin na takot lumantad na pinagdudahan, lalantad na rin at magpa drug test. Para fair and square ‘yung laban, hindi ‘yung puro haka-haka lang at paninira. Delikado, kawawa naman ‘yung masabihan na ganon,” he said.

(I don’t want to say their names but a few have been calling me to say that they want to prove that they have nothing to do with illegal drugs. And for those who are worried that their names will be linked [to drugs], it’s a chance for them to come forward and take a drug test. So we’re fair and square about this. So it’s not just about rumors and character assassination. That’s dangerous, it’s unfair to them.)

Dela Rosa confirmed that a supposed list of Philippine celebrities with suspected links to illegal drugs exists, produced in “collaboration” with different government agencies.

But the PNP chief said he has yet to see the list himself.

Recently, Robin Padilla, among Duterte’s more prominent celebrity supporters, grabbed headlines after saying he hoped the supposed list of celebrities would not be made public right away. Padilla would later reason that there was a world of difference between drug users and pushers.

The so-called “war on drugs” is among the key campaigns in the first months of the Duterte presidency. As of August 31, at least 900 drug suspects have died in police operations around the country. Close to 13,000 drug personalities, meanwhile, have been arrested in the same operations.

More than 600,000 drug users and pushers have “voluntarily surrendered” as part of the PNP’s “knock and plead” campaign.

The campaign has been criticized. Politicians, human rights groups, and even the United Nations have expressed concern over the spate of killings in the context of the war on drugs. Both Duterte and Dela Rosa have brushed off the criticism, defending police from allegations of extrajudicial killings.

Some groups also said the campaign is biased against the poor. Recently, the PNP “intensified” its operations high-end clubs and bars, supposedly spots where the use of party drugs is prevalent. 

Under Oplan TokHang, the PNP’s “knock and plead” campaign to make drug personalities surrender, barely any distinction is made between self-confessed drug users and pushers. – Rappler.com