MANILA – The filing of homicide charges against 10 Laguna police officers over the death of a teenager proves that the Philippine National Police (PNP) will not cover up wrongdoings in the campaign against illegal drugs, the country's top cop said on Wednesday.
"Hindi kailanman naging policy ng PNP ang panggigigipit, pang aabuso sa mga mahihirap nating kababayan at lalo na ang pagtatakip ng mga kamalian sa ating hanay. Batid namin ang mga alegasyong ito ngunit ipinapaalam din namin sa ating mga kababayan na mahigit 80,000 na ang naparusahang pulis sa nakalipas na limang taon at kabilang dito ang pagtanggal sa serbisyo sa mahigit 5,000 dahil sa iba’t ibang kaso ng pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan (It is never the PNP's policy to intimidate or commit abuses especially against the poor as well as cover up wrongdoings among our ranks. We are aware of these allegations but we would also want to inform the public that over 80,000 police officers have been sanctioned for the past five years and these include 5,000 who were dismissed from the service over various cases of abuse of power)," PNP chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said in a statement.
He, however, noted that many police officers were killed or wounded while pursuing drug suspects in various operations.
Eleazar also maintained that the PNP will continue to implement a human rights based approach in the operations.
On Monday, the fact-finding Investigation task group of the Police Regional Office 4-A, led by Brig. Gen. Eliseo Cruz, filed a homicide complaint against 10 personnel of the Laguna Police Provincial Office (PPO) before the Biñan City Prosecutor's Office over the death of 16-year-old Jhondie Helis in a June 16 police operation.
The complaint filed against the 10 policemen, including the head of the team of operatives from the Laguna PPO Intelligence Branch Capt. Fernando Credo, was based on the complaint-affidavit of the teenager’s mother.
The police officers who opened fire and killed Helis and drug high-value target Antonio Dalit during the operation have also been identified based on the results of the ballistics examination and the cross-matching on the slugs recovered from the bodies of the victims. (PNA)
