Manila: The Philippine National Police have denied claims of a police commander and a retired police intelligence officer that police and vigilantes have formed an alliance to kill alcoholics, drug addicts, drug pushers, rapists, thieves and other suspected criminals nationwide for money.

In reaction to the retired police intelligence officer’s 26-page report entitled, ‘The State-Sponsored Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines’, the PNP chief, Director General Ronald dela Rosa, said: “I don’t know who is paying [for those activities]. I don’t have money to pay for that if that were true. The PNP has no funding to pay for that. You’ll pay the cop for killing? Why would you pay him [to do that]?”

As per the report, the PNP pays police P8,000 to P15,000 (Dh667 to Dh1,250) for every drug suspect they kill, dela Rosa, said. “For all you know, it is part of a destabilisation campaign against the Duterte administration. Those who are behind the claim, [should] come out in the open and file charges [before the Ombudsman].”

Meanwhile, PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Dionardo Carlos said: “We don’t have that much funds to spend on such things. In the first place, it is illegal, it is not allowed. We don’t do such things. We are tight with funds. We have no allocation for such things.”

“The figures are too high,” said Carlos in reaction to the report’s claim that 9,000 suspected addicts and drug pushers were killed since President Rodrigo Duterte took office on June 30.

Officials warned

The police claimed responsibility for the killing of 2.500 who had resisted arrest, and blamed the rest as the handiwork of suspected drug syndicates.

The unnamed author claimed the PNP is being assisted by vigilante members of the Davao Death Squad, which has allegedly killed thousands of criminals in Davao City when Duterte was mayor there.

The author’s purpose was to oppose Duterte’s campaign against illegal drug trade and to put him on the defensive, Reuters reported, quoting a source. The report bore statements, not documentation, from 17 active and ex-policemen, including their commander.

Duterte had earlier warned that high officials, local leaders, top policemen and village leaders were protecting drug lords, adding this wide network of support could make the Philippines part of the world’s narco-politics.

Senator Leila de Lima was arrested on February 24 for allegedly protecting convicted local and foreign drug lords who continued illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison.

She was the highest official ever accused of involvement in illegal drug trade, which has reached $4.3 billion annually in 2013.