PNP chief: Generals involved in drugs raising bounty to neutralize me

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Wednesday said he received reports that generals involved in illegal drugs are now raising bounty to have him neutralized.

Dela Rosa said he is having the report validated.

“Balita ko lang na pinopondohan kami. Tsismis lang naman 'yung narinig ko. Bine-verify ko pa. Tsismis lang 'yun pero baka may katotohanan na tsismis 'yan,” he told reporters at the sidelines of the Asian Defence, Security, and Crisis Management Exhibition and Conference in Pasay City.

“We have received information na itong heneral na mayayaman na ito nakapag-ipon na ng pera ay pinopondohan na kami na para ma-neutralize,” he said.

Asked how much was the bounty, the PNP chief said it seems the generals are still raising the amount.

“Naghahanap pa siguro sila ng pondo. Baka marami silang naipon doon sa drug (operations) nila,” he said.

He, however, refused to name who are the generals who wanted him neutralized.

“Hindi ko (sila) nakakausap. Matagal na kaming hindi nag-uusap,” he said.

He sees the threat posed by the generals as more serious than the P1 billion bounty allegedly raised by drug lords earlier. 

“Mas matindi itong sa mga general, mas maraming tao ito. May mga tao sila na sindikato rin e, involved sa droga,” he said.

As early as June, reports said that a drug lord named Peter Co, detained at the New Bilibid Prison, offered a P50-million reward for the assassination of Dela Rosa and President Rodrigo Duterte.

The bounty for killing Duterte and Dela Rosa started with P10 million and was raised to P50 million and then P1 billion.

Dela Rosa is at the forefront of the Duterte administration’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

He said that high-value targets or drug lords will be the focus of the next phase of Project Double Barrel. —KG, GMA News