Manila: Police killed 32 people in “shock and awe” raids aimed at flushing out drug traffickers, Philippine authorities said on Wednesday, after President Rodrigo Duterte admitted to setbacks in his controversial war on crime.
Authorities are looking into the killings which all took place in a single day in the province of Bulacan and have been attributed to the anti-drugs campaign.
Chief Supt Dionardo Carlos, spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the PNP Internal Affairs Service will be conducting an investigation into the police operations conducted on August 15 — in 26 different locations in Bulacan — that left at least 30 drug suspects dead within a 24 hour period from 12am on August 15 to 12am on August 16.
Although daily reports on killings of drug suspects are not unusual in the Philippines, especially since President Rodrigo Duterte unleashed his campaign against dealers illicit substances and syndicates, the incident on Tuesday marks the first time such a huge number of suspects were killed in one day in just one province.
“We wanted to shock and awe these drug personalities,” Romeo Caramat, Bulacan police chief, told reporters in Manila on Wednesday, adding 109 suspects had also been arrested.
“Other drug personalities will think twice before continuing with their drug trade.”
Caramat insisted the police had only killed the suspects in self defence, and highlighted in the press conference that pistols and grenades had been seized in the raids.
“We know we have done nothing wrong,” Caramat said.
He later said that no police had been killed or wounded.
When asked how it was possible there had been no police wounded if the raiding officers had been acting in self defence when killing 32 people, Caramat said: “Don’t ask me to explain.”
Bulacan is a province located North of Metro Manila. It has been in the headlines recently following reports that five members of a family in the municipality of San Jose del Monte were brutally killed by suspected drug addicts.
Caramat said that a total 66 anti-drug operations were carried out on August 15 in the province.
“This is part of the regular operations that we conduct as part of our anti-drug campaign upon the order of PNP Director General Ronald Dela Rosa,” he said.
The operations were mostly carried out in San Jose del Monte, which is heavily drug infested but there are also suspects that were killed in the municipalities of Pulilan, Balagtas, San Miguel, Plaridel, Guiguinto, Norzagaray, Santa Maria, Baliwag and the provincial capital, Malololos City.
Caramat said 62 suspects were arrested in addition to the 30 killed.
“The suspects who were killed had attempted to fight it out with authorities instead of surrendering,” said Caramat.
Police seized a total 230 grams of crystal methamphetamine or “shabu” from the suspects as well as 750 grams of dried cannabis leaves.
Firearms, a grenade and bladed weapons were also taken from the suspects.
Carlos said that drug-related killings is not uncommon in police operations and the incidents would have been more questionable if it happened in just one operation or location.
PNP Chief Dela Rosa earlier said that from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017, a total 3,264 suspects, as well as policemen have died in anti-drug operations.
The drive against drugs is a centrepiece campaign of the Duterte administration. The President said trafficking and trading in illicit substance as well as its sale, is a root cause of criminality and other social ills that plague the Philippines.
