Since july 2016: Cebu claims 195 lives in “legitimate” drug ops

CEBU, Philippines — A total of 254 drug personalities have died in police operations since July 2016, according to the Police Regional Office (PRO)-7.

PRO-7 Chief Debold Sinas, in a press conference, revealed the records following a national coordinating council meet in Palo, Leyte last Wednesday.

Of that number, 241 are reportedly pushers, seven are classified as pushers and users, while six are users.

He said that the 254 deaths came from legitimate police operations.

“Based on the document, they are classified as died during police operations.  So more or less, this one has been investigated by the Regional Internal Affairs Service (RIAS) for motu propio, either buy bust, search warrant, or police response ni,” Sinas said.

The Cebu Provincial Police Office topped other police units under PRO-7 with 131 and is followed by the Bohol Provincial Police Office with 31.

The other police offices include 15 in Cebu City, 37 under the Mandaue City Police Office, 16 in Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office, 12 in Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, while Siquijor Provincial Police Office did not record any death, and 12 from other police units from PRO-7.

The data is from July 2016 to October 21 this year.

Sinas said that PRO-7 is number one in conducting police operations, with 4,000 anti-illegal drug operations and netting approximately 25 kilos worth of drugs with roughly a market value of P2.8 billion.

Based on the nationwide report by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, 4,948 drug suspects were killed while 158,424 were arrested in 110,395 anti-drug operations from July 1, 2016 to September 2018.

The authorities also confiscated over P25 billion worth of shabu, chemicals, and laboratory equipment.  Bulk of the amount or P18.27 billion was for the shabu recovered.

He said that it could only mean that the police are working in the region.

He also said that if the number of killings would prompt the Commission on Human Rights to investigate, they will be open to it.

“If daghan operations, mosunod gyud na siya.  They could always investigate.  That’s the stand of the Philippine National Police.  That is their mandate, it is okay with us, they have the right to investigate,” Sinas said. — GAN (FREEMAN)