PNP chief urges 'better ideas' than 'tokhang' tactics vs leftists
MANILA, Philippines — The chief of the Philippine National Police called for "better ideas" to address the communist insurgency in the country instead of the "tokhang" reboot that Cordillera officials want to use against activists, organizers and rights workers.
This comes after the Cordillera Regional Peace and Order Council passed a resolution earlier this week adopting the “Dumanun Makitungtong” (Seek and Talk) strategy against "known members of left-leaning organizations."
Under the proposal, barangay officials are directed to visit supposed leftists to convince them not to be leftists anymore.
Neither being a leftist nor even a communist are actual crimes under the country's laws.
In a statement sent to reporters Tuesday afternoon, Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar expressed his misgivings with the strategy, pointing to a "gray area" that he said could potentially violate human rights.
"In fighting communist insurgency in the country, we in the PNP believe that we have to present better ideas that focus more on winning back the [people's] trust and confidence," he said.
Eleazar claimed that the PNP is already doing so through its "aggressive support on information dissemination, community mobilization through police-community relations, and barangay development program."
"We will stick to these strategies," he said.
A resolution by the Cordillera Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee, entitled: "A resolution enjoining the members of law enforcement agencies together with representatives of LGUs to conduct ‘tokhang’ to known left-leaning personalities in the government, media and other entities" also reads:
"A strategy is needed in addressing the insurgency problem of the Cordillera Region. This could be by way of the ‘Oplan Tokhang’ strategy being used in the government’s war on drugs by visiting/knocking on their residences and plea for them to stop dealing and using drugs. The same concept is envisioned to known left-leaning personalities by visiting/knocking on their respective residences and plea or dissuade them from further supporting, or being active members of the CPP-NPA-NDF or any of its known Front Organizations."
Tokhang, a combination of Bisaya words “tuktok” (to knock) and “hangyo” (to plead), was the strategy employed by police and local government officials to confront suspected drug personalities in their homes.
The government equates being left-leaning as support for and membership in the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People's Army, a common assertion that has been used to justify what activists call a crackdown on legitimate and legal organizations.
As it stands, global investigative panel Investigate PH said that elements of the Oplan Tokhang template were already present in what it said was the Duterte administration's "overt campaign of killing political dissenters."
"While I understand the genuine intention of the Cordillera Regional Peace and Order Council, I believe that there are some gray areas in this campaign that may compromise the commitment of your Philippine National Police to respecting and upholding the human rights of every Filipino citizen," Eleazar said.
He did not mention what he felt these "gray areas" were, and it is unclear why anti-drug operations that employ the same template do not receive the same scrutiny from the PNP chief.
Figures from Real Numbers PH—which collates data from the PNP, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Dangerous Drugs Board—note that 6,089 suspects have died in official operations since July 2016.
However, previous PNP chiefs said the number was around 8,000 deaths—a number later lowered to the current figure—while rights groups say the actual death toll may be as high as 30,000.
READ: PNP welcomes probe into arrest of activist but denies law is being weaponized
Eleazar has also so far not addressed the arrests and killings of activists during his time as PNP chief.
The PNP chief routinely asserts the legitimacy of operations and has said the pattern of arrests on progressive leaders is mere coincidence.
“Every time we have police operations, especially the service of search or arrest warrants, the defense of individuals who just happen to be members of progressive groups that we have come to expect is the allegation that our operation is illegal or that they were harassed or planted evidence on," Eleazar said in May after cops arrested Anakbayan Naga chair Sasah Sta. Rosa at her home. — with reports from The STAR/Artemio Dumlao
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