As the Philippine National Police (PNP) celebrates its 27th
founding anniversary today, January 29, this day also marks the return of the
controversial “Oplan Tokhang” anti-drug campaign of the current administration.
“Tokhang” was first launched in 2016 as a campaign to make
suspected drug personalities surrender to authorities and get into
rehabilitation program to avoid arrest.
In his message, PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa
said that in order to have a 100 percent bloodless anti-drug campaign, people
should stop doing drugs.
This time, Dela Rosa is optimistic that police operations
will be less violent, though he could not fully commit if the amendments on this campaign would result to zero casualties
“I cannot give you a fool-proof anti-drug campaign. I cannot
give you 100-percent bloodless anti-drug operations,” Dela Rosa said in a press
briefing on television, noting that anti-drug campaigns would depend on the
reaction of the suspect.
"If I could just control the minds of drug
personalities: please don’t be violent, don’t fight back so our drug operations
will be bloodless,” he said in Tagalog.
“Along the way of addressing this problem, we also have to
protect ourselves. We also have to preserve our own lives." The PNP chief added.
The new “Tokhang” will be tightly monitored of the
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National Police
Commission (NAPOLCOM).
Under its new guidelines, the anti-drugs operations shall be
conducted only on weekdays and during daytime, and each team to conduct “Tokhang”
will be composed of four policemen only, led by a commissioner officer.
Also, according to PNP, representatives from religious
groups, media, and civil society groups may be invited to join the operations.
The guidelines also stated that all the PNP personnel who
are members of the anti-drugs campaign should file a report containing the unit
and individual’s role with daily evaluation and remarks on how the police
performed. This will be reviewed and monitored by their team leader.
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