
PNP gets lower HR complaints
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) reported a significant decline in drug-related human rights violations as it seized P20.4 billion worth of illegal drugs in 2024.
The big reduction in complaints regarding abuses and other infractions committed by police anti-narcotics agents last year came as the PNP leadership headed by General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil committed to ensure the protection of civil liberties while going all-out against illegal drug trafficking and abuse.
According to the PNP Human Rights Affairs Office (PNP-HRAO), there was a significant decline in drug-related human rights violations last year with only a single complaint recorded from January to December 2024 compared to the eight cases in 2023.
“While this reduction is a remarkable achievement, it is crucial to recognize that continuous vigilance is required to sustain this progress,” said the unit under the Office of the Chief PNP which serves as a management facility that oversees the implementation of the PNP policies and guidelines on human rights.
The PNP-HRAO has been given credit to the landmark success of the PNP in its anti-drug crackdown in 2024, the year it was given the role of continuously monitoring and supporting police anti-criminality operations to ensure that every individual’s rights are protected.
Gen. Marbil has given to the PNP-HRAO headed by Brigadier Gen. Jerry V. Protacio the responsibility to make sure that human rights are always upheld as they launched their recalibrated anti-drug campaign in 2024.
The PNP’s human-rights-focused and community-driven approach aligns closely with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of a humane, inclusive and bloodless anti-drug strategy, said the official.
The roadmap integrates enforcement, prevention, and collaboration with stakeholders to tackle the nation’s drug problem comprehensively.
Gen. Marbil commended the efforts of the HRAO in ensuring that operational success does not come at the expense of human dignity.
The PNP-HRAO last year spearheaded initiatives to strengthen human rights compliance during anti-drug operations.
Among its key contributions are the following: monitoring arrests to ensure adherence to legal protocols, thus safeguarding individuals’ rights to due process and protection from harm; promoting transparency through detailed reporting on anti-drug operations and addressing complaints related to alleged abuses; collaborating with independent oversight bodies to enhance the credibility of the PNP’s human rights measures in order to reinforce public trust; and providing training and seminars on human rights-based policing in order to equip officers with the knowledge and tools to enforce the law without compromising human rights standards.
Gen. Marbil said the reduction from eight to one violation demonstrates the impact of the PNP’s recalibrated anti-drug roadmap and the HRAO’s initiatives.
The PNP-HRAO’s which include improved monitoring mechanisms, enhanced accountability for law enforcement, better public communication, and the establishment of stronger legal frameworks, have significantly contributed to this progress.
However, it maintained that police must continue to prioritize the prevention of excessive force and ensure that even the remaining violations are addressed promptly and effectively.
The 2024 data illustrates that effective law enforcement and respect for human rights can coexist, Brig. Gen. Protacio said.
Institutionalizing respect for human rights, he said, will also ensure that their gains in 2024 will be sustained in order to protect the dignity and rights of every Filipino.
The PNP ended 2024 with a successful campaign against illegal drugs, accounting for more than P20 billion worth of shabu and other prohibited substances and arresting nearly 55,000 targets, the Journal Group learned.
“The strategy of the PNP today is to stop the drug chain, the flow of illegal drugs nationwide. It is not by killing that we aim to disrupt and reduce the movement of illegal drugs in our country,” the top cop told the Journal Group.