MANILA, Philippines – The country’s top cop said deaths in police operations are normal.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said on Friday, August 18, that the spike in the number of deaths in police operations is not a cause for alarm.

“Normal. Malawakan yung ating operation eh maraming operate. Normal na marami nagtatrabaho yung pulis ninyo, hindi natutulog, nagtatrabaho kaya iyon nago-operate,” Dela Rosa told reporters after he spoke at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) celebration of the 116th PNP Service Anniversary.

(It’s normal. The operations are many and go wide. It’s normal that your police work and do not sleep. They operate because they are working.)

The number of deaths in Manila and Bulacan have risen dramatically. In the span of two days, at least 57 were killed. (READ: Except for killings, all crimes drop in Duterte’s 1st year)

They supposedly fought back against police, and for Dela Rosa, that would normally lead to their death.

“May namatay dahil lumaban. I don’t think dapat ikakaalarma iyan (Some die because they fight back. I don’t think that’s cause for alarm),” Dela Rosa said.

He lashed at critics condemning the tally, asking them to look at the acquired items during the high-power operations.

In the Bulacan operation, police seized 230 grams of suspected crystal meth or shabu and 765 grams of marijuana leaves. In Manila, cops collected shabu weighing 16.488 grams – the weight of two P10 coins.

“Hindi ko naman kontrolado kung sila’y lumalaban, kung sila’y maglaban. Siguro mas maalarma kayo kung nagkalat ang droga diyan sa kalsada, walang pusher na nahuhuli dapat maalarma kayo niyan,” Dela Rosa added.

(I have no control if they fight back. Be alarmed if drugs proliferate in the streets and no drug dealers get caught, be alarmed about that.) – Rappler.com