THE Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) is set to intensify visibility, internal cleansing and monitoring of motorcycle-riding men following the latest memorandum of President Duterte suspending “Oplan Tokhang and Double Barrel.”
"We will abide by the directive of our Police Director General for all policemen assigned to the war on drugs to inquire on where they will be re-assigned and to strengthen police visibility in the city,” BCPO Police Superintendent Ramil Saculles said during the BCPO advisory summit.
In a nationwide television interview with Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald Dela Rosa, he explained the suspension on the war on drugs was based on the President’s reaction to the latest survey, indicating it was a decrease in his popularity.
During the implementation of "Oplan Double Barrel" in the city in July 2016, BCPO recorded 2,367 drug surrenderers with 300 having graduated to various rehabilitation programs being implemented by the PNP and other stakeholders.
To date, no case of alleged extrajudicial killing was recorded in Baguio City.
BCPO Community Relations Unit head Police Superintendent Vic Orcino explained that despite the passage of the Presidents memorandum, those undergoing rehabilitation will still be supported by the various stakeholders involved in the rehabilitation process for drug surrenderer, aside from a continuous monitoring of the surrenderer who might go back to the illegal vice.
In cases where Policemen will be informed of illegal drug activities, the Police Director General ordered them to immediately inform Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency operatives of such activity, and to not engage with the suspected illegal drugs operatives.
The nationwide record of the PNP registered 113,932 arrested, while 3,906 died as a result on the war on drugs.
