MANILA, Philippines – The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday, May 8, paid little attention to statements made by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) over the government’s apparent “failure” to protect its citizens.

“Wala naman success talagang nakikita ‘yung CHR. Puro failure lang naman ‘yan eh. Sige lang, okay lang kung failure tingin nila diyan,” said Dela Rosa in a press conference in Camp Crame.

(The CHR has seen no success. They only see failure. It’s okay if they think it’s purely failure.) 

During a drug policy forum on May 5, CHR Chairperson Chito Gascon described the thousands of homicides that policemen have been tallying since the beginning of the war on drugs as proof of the administration’s “failure” to protect the citizenry and a “breach of promise to guarantee peace and security to Filipinos.”

Of the more than 9,000 “homicide cases under investigation,” over 1,800 have been found to be linked to illegal drugs. Police have yet to determine the motives behind another 5,000 homicide cases.

The CHR has long raised alarm over the spate of killings since President Rodrigo Duterte began the war on drugs in July 2016. Police have killed more than 2,500 drug suspects in operations as of May 2017.

They have also recorded more than a million “surrenderers” through Oplan TokHang, a literal door-to-door campaign where they ask suspected drug users to surrender and change their ways.

“Wala pa akong nakitang success na sinabi nila pagdating sa gobyerno. Okay lang sa akin kung failure ‘yan. Go ahead,” added Dela Rosa, a week after he apologized to the commission over an “emotional” defense made in behalf of cops found to have operated a secret detention facility in Tondo, Manila.

(I’ve yet to see the CHR talk about success when it comes to the government. So it’s okay if he considers that a failure. Go ahead.) 

The CHR is an independent body tasked to check on the abuses of state forces, including the police.

Gascon had earlier said they are still investigating hundreds of cases of alleged abuse by uniformed personnel. – Rappler.com