LOCAL authorities in Davao Region belied the claims of Vice President Leni Robredo that “palit-ulo” was being done by the Philippine National Police during anti-drug operations, calling the claim absurd.
But there is indeed a “palit-ulo,” which is allowed in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
“Ang palit-ulo exists but the palit-ulo as described by the vice president hindi yon, it is kidnapping (Palit-ulo exists but the palit-ulo as described by the vice president is kidnapping). That is not the palit-ulo,” Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Davao Regional Director Adzhar Albani said.
“For the time that I became a station commander, no, it never happened and it’s just not feasible to apply that system na palit-ulo. It sounds really absurd to me,” Davao City Police Office Police Community Relation Police Superintendent Jed Clamor said.
As Robredo claimed, “palit-ulo” is a modus used by cops who would take another family member in case the target person involved in the illegal drug is not around.
In all their Tokhang operations, he said, whenever the suspect is not home, they only tell the relatives to tell the suspect to surrender and clear his name. They never bring any relative with them.
“It never happened,” Clamor said.
But he admits there is such a term as “palit-ulo,” but this is entirely different.
Palit-ulo is when a drug suspect in exchange for a lighter charge provides relevant and important information to the police that will lead them to arrest the “big fish” in the drug ring.
“We encourage people to come and tell us about it because we will never tolerate such practice if it exists,” he said.
PDEA Regional Director Adzhar Albani confirmed Clamor's version of “palit-ulo.”
It was never like how the vice president described it in her message for the “Human Rights Challenge: Responding to Extrajudicial Killings in the Drug War,” Albani said.
He was quick to add the “palit-ulo” they practice is allowed under the Republic Act (RA) 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
This is stated in RA 9165 Section 33 providing for “Immunity from Prosecution and Punishment.”
“It’s a complete reverse of the statement of the vice President. We are sorry to say that walang nangyari sa version ni (there’s no such thing as the version of the) Vice President,” Albani said.
Philippine National Police (PNP) also denied last March 15 the claim of Vice President
PNP spokesperson Dionardo Carlos assured that if true, the PNP "will not tolerate" it as it is not included in their policy.
"Kung merong ganitong ulat (If there is a report like this), we ask them to be more specific and let us allow those allegedly who has done this to answer for it," Carlos said.
The PNP urged Robredo to provide more information on the scheme so they can conduct an investigation on it.