Gatchalian warns police could lose war on drugs – Business Mirror

THE public approval of the Duterte administrations raging war on drugs is likely to continue to nosedive if the National Police fails to correct reported police abuses in waging the campaign against illegal-drugs syndicates, Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian warned on Tuesday.

Gatchalian cited the failure of National Police chief Director General Ronald M. dela Rosa to keep his officers in check, even as he prodded him to promptly launch an inquiry into the charges against erring police officers.

He lamented what he described as an endless string of public scandals concerning the questionable methods employed by police officers in waging the fight against illegal drugs is starting to take its toll on the credibility of the National Police.

Gatchalian voiced concern that public trust in the [police] institution is fast declining, and the people are losing their faith in police officers.

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In a statement, Gatchalian said the March 2017 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey indicating an 11-percent drop in public satisfaction in the Duterte administrations war on drugs. He noted that 73 percent of the respondents voiced fears about being wrongly targeted and becoming victims of extrajudicial killings, while 44 percent did not believe police claims that slain suspects fought back during operations.

Gatchalian also cited televised reports last week on a discovery by a team from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) that found 12 men and women, alleged to be drug offenders, illegally detained inside a secret lock-up cell hidden behind a bookshelf at the WPD Police Station 1 in Tondo, Manila.

He recalled reports some of the detainees claimed the police were extorting money from the suspects, ranging from P30,000 to P100,000, in exchange for their freedom, while other detainees complained they were beaten up by jailers.

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Gatchalian warns police could lose war on drugs - Business Mirror