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Dela Rosa says PNP has no funds for ‘kills’ in drug war

Rappler.com

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Dela Rosa says PNP has no funds for ‘kills’ in drug war

Alecs Ongcal

The PNP chief cries foul over a Reuters story that says cops have been faking crime scenes and getting money for killing drug suspects

MANILA, Philippines – National police chief Ronald dela Rosa on Thursday, April 20, denied anew allegations of police faking crime scenes and getting money for kills in President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.

The allegations were made in a 26-page unpublished report entitled “The State-Sponsored Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines.” The report, and interviews with a retired police intelligence officer and a current police commander, was the highlight of a recent Reuters story. (READ: How the PNP responds to abuse, corruption charges)

Kung meron silang evidence, kasuhan natin. Saan ako kukuha ng pera para diyan? Sinasabi nila na galing sa PNP, wala pa kaming pondo para diyan,” said Dela Rosa in a chance interview on Thursday, referring to claims that police were being paid between P20,000 to P5 million to kill targets in the drugs war.

(If they have evidence, let’s file charges. Where will I get money for that? They say it’s from the PNP. We do not have funds for that.)

Dela Rosa dismissed other allegations in the report, including police supposedly faking crime scenes to justify the death of drug suspects during operations.

Mahirap yung ganon puro (It’s hard when it’s mere) allegation. Basta kami we presume regularity in the performance of the duty of our operatives,” he added.

As in previous reports based on anonymous police officers, Dela Rosa hit the police officers supposedly quoted in the news report.

Ipalabas nila then kausapin ko, sagutin natin punto por punto, sagutin namin. Mahirap yung idadaan sa media, pagdating sa media iniispin yung balita to make it appear na masamang masama kami,” he said.

(Come out and talk to me, we’ll answer those allegations point per point. It’s hard when you course it through media because it’s spun to make us look bad.)

He added: “Hindi niyo alam kung anong motibo nitong mga taong to na gumagawa ng storya, yung mga retired na yan. Hindi natin alam baka yan yung mga tinanggal sa pwesto dahil involved sa droga, hindi natin alam sino yung mga taong yan o baka may gripings dahil di nakapwesto dahil mahina talaga. Harapan tayo. Punto por punto sagutin natin. Wag yung hiding under the skirt of the media.”

(You don’t know the motives of those people who made the story, the retired cop. We don’t know, maybe he was removed from his post because of drugs, we don’t know who that person is. He might have gripes because he isn’t good enough. Let’s face each other. We’ll answer each allegations. Do not hide under the skirt of the media.)

Dela Rosa had the same response when Reuters and The Guardian published reports back in October 2016, quoting anonymous police sources, about confusion in the war on drugs and the hiring of gunmen to execute drug personalities.

Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, in their respective reports, have also claimed instances when police executed drug suspects and planted faked evidence to cover their tracks.

Both reports, released in February and March 2017, respectively, claimed money is given – to either police or hired gunmen – whenever a drug suspect is killed.

The PNP chief said on Thursday the allegations were unfair to policemen who died or were injured during police operations.

Hindi ko sina-sanction yung mga trabaho na yan. Pulis kami. Hindi kami mga sindikato,” said Dela Rosa, referring to allegations of illegal activities done by cops themselves.

(I do not sanction those things. We are policemen. We are not syndicates.) – Rappler.com

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