PNP: If EJK claims are true, surrenderers and arrested drug suspects shouldn’t be alive as well

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday maintained that its campaign against illegal drugs has been conducted legitimately, saying the presumption of regularity remains on their side even if the Supreme Court said otherwise.

"We maintain that the PNP campaign against illegal drugs is constitutional, legal and is implemented in the interest of public safety," PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao said in a statement.

"The presumption of regularity remains with the law enforcers and unless proven otherwise in the court of law," he added.

While allegations according to Bulalacao are "part of the healthy democracy that the country has," Bulalacao argued that the number of deaths should not be the main focus.

"Emphasis should not only be focused on the almost 4,000 deaths in police operations but also on the more than 1.3 M surrenderers, 120,000+ arrested persons and on the number of law enforcers who have died during these police operations," he said.

"If the claims on EJK are true, then these surrenderers and arrested suspects should not be alive as well," he added.

The SC has denied Solicitor General Jose Calida's motion for reconsideration against its December 2017 order to submit drug war reports.

SC spokesman Theodore Te said the high court has directed the government, including PNP chief Director General Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa to turn in the reports within a period of 15 days from notice.

The PNP, for its part, had said that it would seek first the legal recommendation of the SolGen on the matter.

In December, the SC asked the government to submit a list of persons killed in legitimate police operations from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2017; list of deaths under investigation from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2017; list of Chinese and Filipino-Chinese drug lords who have been neutralized; and list of drugs involved whether shabu, cocaine, marijuana, opioids, etc.; and comparative tables on index crimes.

The SC also wanted to obtain statistics of internal cleansing within the police force; drug watchlist in affected areas; reports and documents regarding alleged drug war victims Aileen Almora, Rowena Aparri, and Jefferson Soriano; pre- and post-operation reports in all the incidents cited in the petition filed by Sister Ma. Juanita Daño's group; number of buy-bust incidents in San Andres Bukid, Manila from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2017; list of warrants and warrantless arrests in high-value target police operations; and list of cases under investigation under the PNP's Internal Affairs Service.

In his appeal, Calida said submitting these documents will compromise ongoing police anti-drug operations and put at risk the lives of informants.

He said the documents involve information and other sensitive matters that could spell the success or failure of follow-up operations of policemen and other law enforcement bodies, and endanger the lives of individuals who are on the list and those already under custody.

But the SC in a 52-page notice of resolution explaining its denial of Calida's appeal said that it is "ridiculous" for Calida to claim that the records requested by some justices contain information so "sensitive" that even the country's highest court cannot look into them.

The high tribunal also said the PNP cannot claim the presumption of regularity, "because deaths are not suppose to occur during any of their operations."

"The lack of any submission of the required information and documents leads this Court to believe that there is no basis to the OSG's claim," it said. — RSJ, GMA News