MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa claimed that there was an increase in rape-slay cases after the police withdrew from the President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.
"Rape cases significantly declined during our war on drugs. Now that we're no longer involved in the war on drugs, the (cases) increased again," Dela Rosa said at a press briefing Friday.
Dela Rosa, however, did not provide data to back his claim. He only mentioned the San Jose del Monte massacre in Bulacan, in which the suspect was charged with rape and five counts of murder for killing Auring Dizon, 58; her daughter Estrella Carlos, 35, and Carlos’ children Donny, 11; Ella, 7, and Dexter Jr., 1.
Philstar.com tried to get the latest figures on rape cases from PNP spokesperson Senior Superintendent Dionardo Carlos but he is yet to reply to the request.
Dela Rosa said the criminals who were on the run and in hiding due to PNP’s anti-drug operations are now resurfacing. He said the police force can no longer touch them as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority is now the “sole agency” in charge of drug war.
No rape incidents during drug war's first months? Not so.
The police chief also bragged that there was no rape case during the first six months of the government’s crackdown on illegal drugs.
But according to the data released by PNP on October 4, there were 4,650 rape incidents recorded from January to June 2017—200 rape cases less than the same period in the previous year, right before the launch of Duterte's anti-narcotics campaign in June 2016.
News reports of rape incidents from June to December 2016 also belie Dela Rosa's sweeping claim.
The police chief said there is a “huge” possibility that recent rape cases are associated with drug problems.
“Definitely, no one in his right mind would rape and kill a woman and even set her on fire if you are in your right mind, if you are not high on drugs, if you are not an addict," Dela Rosa said.
He added: "I don’t want to insinuate to the public that that is the reason but that’s a glaring, glaring reality. That’s a fact, that is happening."
Dela Rosa was referring to the recent killings of Mabel Cama, James Carl Guzman and Glory Mary Carbonell.
Cama, a 22-year-old bank employee, was found dead with half of her body set on fire and naked from waist up.
Meanwhile, Guzman (22) and his girlfriend Carbonell (19), both employees of a fast food chain, were found floating in the waters off the coast of Orion and Pilar, respectively. Carbonell was allegedly sexually abused before she was killed.
More than a week after his announcement designating PDEA to take the lead of the drug war, Duterte said that he might bring the police back to the anti-drug campaign “if things get worse again.”
READ: Duterte: PDEA now 'sole agency' in charge of drug war