Bato as "Tokhang" resumes: Don't do drugs if you want a bloodless anti-drug campaign

Photo file from Inquirer (ctto)

As the Philippine National Police (PNP) celebrates its 27^th 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.

 Source: philstar, Manila Times