PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Dionardo B. Carlos has assured the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of their continuing cooperation and assistance in the ongoing investigation into alleged lapses committed by some members of the police force as a result of their war on drugs since July 2016.

Maintaining that President Rodrigo Duterte’s order for them to ensure that the ‘rule of law will always prevail,’ the 27thPNP chief assured that the policemen being investigated by the DOJ-NBI for their role in anti-narcotics operations which ended up in deaths of people will be punished in accordance with the law once proven to have committed irregularities in the performance of their duties.

“If we’re talking about the cases na naibigay natin sa DOJ, kung ito ay magkakaroon ng criminal cases, kakasuhan natin and they will go to trial. Ngayon po, yung mga na-involve, yung administrative cases ng mga ‘yan ay nagtutuloy. Meron na po tayong mga nakasuhan diyan for violating our administrative procedures or ‘yung rule of engagement,” the 27th chief of the 222,000-strong police force said.

According to the member of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) ‘Maringal’ Class of 1988, they are in constant coordination with the DOJ-NBI when it comes to reviewing the 5,655 police anti-drug operations where deaths have occurred.

The DOJ is leading a government effort to reevaluate these cases and examine the propriety of reinvestigating them or filing appropriate cases against the policemen involved.

The PNP last May provided to the DOJ-NBI the records of 61 cases where policemen involved were recommended to be charged criminally or administratively by the PNP Internal Affairs Service.

Carlos said the concerned policemen have been relieved from their post so that they would not be accused of influencing the conduct of investigation on their cases.

Before he retired from the force last November 12, former PNP chief and now senatorial candidate Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar signed a memorandum of agreement with NBI Officer-in-Charge, Director Eric B. Distor regarding their conduct of full inquiry on possible lapses and human rights committed by some police personnel in the conduct of ant-narcotics operations since the start of the Duterte administration.

The four-page MOA serves as an authority for the two agencies to build cases against PNP personnel who would be found violating the criminal laws in the conduct of operations against illegal drug personalities across the country.

“The PNP and the NBI shall jointly evaluate the government’s anti-illegal drug operations, and, where necessary, determine possible criminal liability on the part of the police officers involved in these operations,” the MOA read.

“As state agencies, both Parties seek to ascertain the truth regarding the allegations of human rights violations and possible criminal liability in the conduct of government’s anti-illegal drug operations,” it added.

The agreement also emphasized the commitment of the PNP and the NBI in supporting each other in terms of sharing all documents, records and pieces of evidence relating to the police anti-drug operations; and in undertaking investigation, case build-up and the possible filing of criminal complaints against any police officer who would be found violating the laws.

The MOA also requires both the PNP and the NBI to prepare a full and detailed report of all relevant findings and recommendations.

As a result of the agreement, the PNP said it will designate representatives from the Internal Affairs Service and the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management while the NBI will be represented by officers from the Office of the Assistant Director for Regional Operations Service, Office of the Assistant Director for Investigation Service, Office of the Assistant Director for Intelligence Service, and the Office of the Assistant Director for Forensic Service.

“The signing of this Agreement is proof of the PNP’s commitment to transparency and accountability and in order to finally settle the allegations of human rights abuses that have been hounding the government’s aggressive campaign against illegal drugs since July 2016,” said Eleazar.

“Through this Agreement, we will be able to ferret out the truth and correct the wrong impression that all our operations relating to illegal drugs campaign are tainted with human rights abuse. Napakalaki ng sakripisyo ng ating kapulisan sa kampanyang ito at marami din kaming kasamahan na nagbuwis ng buhay at nasugatan sa aming mga operasyon,” he added.

Carlos has emphasized time and time again that their aggressive campaign against illegal drugs did not only result in the confiscation of multi-billion worth of illegal drugs, dismantling of all shabu laboratories in the country and the neutralization of key players in illegal drugs smuggling and distribution across the country but most importantly had resulted in the unprecedented reduction of index crime by almost 70 percent in the last five years.

At least 52 cases involving 154 police officers will be prioritized by the PNP-NBI Joint Investigation Team. Those cases flagged down by the PNP-IAS were already reviewed by the DOJ and were recommended for further investigation and case build-up.