Social Weather Stations: Filipinos divided on believing ‘nanlaban’ stories

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos are divided on the truthfulness of police claims that slain drug suspects fought back or nanlaban, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The survey, taken from Dec.16 to 19, found 28 percent of adult Filipinos saying police are not telling the truth about their claims and 28 percent believing the police, with 44 percent undecided on the matter.

This brought to zero the net opinion on the truthfulness of the police in December 2018, similar to the zero in June 2018 and the -1 when the question was first asked in December 2016.

The poll used face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults 18 years old and above.

Net opinion about the truthfulness of the police’s nanlaban claims was lowest in Metro Manila at -11 (23 percent definitely/probably telling the truth, 34 percent probably/definitely not telling the truth).

In balance Luzon, it was at -3 (26 percent definitely/probably telling the truth, 29 percent probably/definitely not telling the truth).

Net opinion in the Visayas was at +3 (30 percent definitely/probably telling the truth, 27 percent probably/definitely not telling the truth).

Mindanao’s net opinion of the police’s nanlaban claims was at +11 (34 percent definitely/probably telling the truth, 22 percent probably/definitely not telling the truth, correctly rounded).

The survey also showed the majority believe that accusations against policemen are true.

In particular, these accusations are that some policemen are involved in the illegal drug trade (68 percent), are involved in the extrajudicial killings of alleged suspects in the drug trade (66 percent) and often plant evidence against suspects they arrest (58 percent).

Malacañang assured the public that the administration is not letting its guard down in the campaign against police scalawags who abuse their authority.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo gave the statement in response to the results of the fourth quarter of 2018 SWS survey on policemen that showed that many cops are involved in illegal activities.

“Just like in any organization, the Palace is aware that there are rotten eggs that tend to destroy the integrity of the great institution that is the Philippine National Police (PNP),” Panelo said.

“In the spirit of fairness, however, SWS should have also fielded a question regarding the good deeds of our policemen in the war against drugs,” he said.

Panelo noted that a total of 165 police officers were killed and 575 were wounded in the campaign against prohibited narcotics.

“These figures dispel allegations of critics and detractors on legitimate drug operations and show that drug pushers and addicts actually resort to violence when confronted with a threat of apprehension,” he said.

While there is no denying that there are erring policemen within their ranks, Panelo defended the PNP by saying that it conducted internal cleansing efforts.

Panelo cited the activation of the Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) to go after policemen involved in unlawful activities.

Reacting to the SWS survey, Commission on Human Rights (CHR) spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said the results validate the questions that continue to confront the government in relation to its campaign against illegal drugs.

“Such allegations are causes of grave concern, especially that the death count continues to rise and drug operations are in full throttle. These results also come at a time when the PNP claims to have no objective count of the number of drug users in the Philippines,” De Guia said.

“We then urge the government to appropriate urgent, concrete actions that address perceptions of the police being involved in the violation of laws and rights,” she added.

De Guia said the CHR has extended its offer of partnership with the police to lessen incidents of alleged human rights violations.

She also reiterated the commission’s request for case files on deaths related to the war on drugs.

“In the end, the commission seeks to pursue its mandate for the protection of the rights and dignity of all Filipinos,” added the CHR official.

Uphold human rights

PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Bernard Banac assured the people that police officers always uphold human rights in their anti-illegal drugs operations.

While they have intensified their operations,

Banac said anti-narcotics officers do not want bloodshed every time they carry out operations against suspected drug pushers and users.

He cited the case of 17-year-old slain suspected drug courier Kian Lloyd delos Santos where three policemen were found guilty of the victim’s murder.

The conviction of the police officers involved in Delos Santos’ murder, according to Banac, is proof the the PNP Is following laws in the implementation of the anti-illegal drugs campaign.

Former PNP chief and now  senatorial bet Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa vowed to push for the revival of the death penalty if he is elected senator in the May elections.

Dela Rosa told supporters during the party’s campaign Wednesday at San Andres gym in Manila that he will continue President Duterte’s campaign to totally eradicate illegal drugs in the country.

“What is at stake here are the lives of thousands of young Filipinos and their future. The President cannot do it alone. He needs your assistance, our assistance to eradicate the scourge of illegal drugs,” Dela Rosa said.

From Dec. 31 to Jan. 31, a total of 72 suspected drug pushers and users died in reported encounters with anti-narcotics officers, or an average of at least two kills a day.

A total of 5,176 suspected drug personalities were killed in President Duterte’s anti-illegal drugs campaign from July 2016 to September 2018.

Banac said it has never been the intention of police officers to kill pushers and users in anti-drug operations, but they also have to defend themselves if their lives are at risk.

A total of 170,689 drug suspects were arrested in 119,841 operations in the past two years.

Among those arrested were 263 elected officials, 295 government employees and 69 uniformed personnel.

The total value of illegal drugs seized went up to P25.94 billion, an increase of P321.93 million compared to last month’s report.

Some 11,080 barangays of the 42,044 villages nationwide have been declared as cleared of illegal drugs. – With Christina Mendez, Janvic Mateo, Emmanuel Tupas, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Jose Rodel Clapano