MANILA – The Malacañang assured the public that police officers who abuse their authority in the government’s war on drugs will be held accountable as impunity has no place under the Duterte administration.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo made the statement on Monday following a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, which showed that most Filipinos were worried that they or someone they know might fall victim to extrajudicial killing.
“We understand this concern of our people given the grossly inflated number of drug-related killings falsely peddled and grotesquely sensationalized by the incorrigible critics of the government’s campaign against prohibited drugs,” Panelo said.
He added: “For the umpteenth time, we do not tolerate EJKs nor knowingly allow them to happen. EJKs and vigilante killings are neither State-sanctioned nor State-sponsored.”
The Palace official insisted that President Rodrigo Duterte’s position on any abuse committed by police officers and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency personnel during their operations remains unchanged and immovable.
“Any transgression by them will reap the severest punishment imposed by law,” Panelo said. “We are investigating all complaints and allegations of extrajudicial deaths to ensure that perpetrators will not escape accountability.”
SWS’ Fourth Quarter 2018 survey showed that 78 percent of Pinoys are worried that they or someone they know might fall victim to EJKs, while around 22 percent are not worried.
The survey result also showed that worry about becoming a victim of EJK was at its highest in the Visayas at 83 percent; followed by Metro Manila at 79 percent; Mindanao at 78 percent; and, Balance Luzon at 75 percent.
Around 50 percent of Filipinos also believe that only the poor are falling victim to EJK; three percent said only the rich; and, 48 percent said the problem does not choose a class.
The SWS survey was conducted from Dec. 16 to 19, 2018 using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide – 360 each in Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao./PN
