177 cops charged for drug offenses

MANILA, Philippines — More than 170 police officers have been charged with drug-related offenses in Metro Manila and about 120,000 people have been placed behind bars under the administration’s war on drugs, President Marcos reported yesterday.

In a video message posted on Facebook, Marcos assured the public that he would not allow police officials to violate the law.

“What happened was 177 police officers have been charged with drug-related offenses, including the planting of evidence, unlawful arrest and excessive violence only here in NCR (National Capital Region),” Marcos said.

“We are pursuing 151,818 court cases by the DOJ (Department of Justice) from 2022 to 2023, with 121,582 violators already in jail in relation to the drug trade,” he added.

Marcos said the 177 officers held accountable for drugs and the 121,582 convictions were not just numbers, but were “lives transformed and communities uplifted.”

The President also claimed that his administration had “confronted corruption head-on.”

“Our fight against illegal drugs will not slow down,” Marcos said.

“For us, these are just good numbers. They reflected improvement. We really improved our communities, we improved the lives of our countrymen and we are preventing the youth from getting into drugs,” he added.

Earlier this month, Malacañang reported that P10.41 billion worth of illegal drugs were seized while 27,968 barangays were declared drug-free last year.

A total of 56,495 suspects have been arrested in more than 44,000 anti-narcotics operations while 50 provinces, 1,160 municipalities and 30 cities have “functional” anti-drug abuse councils at the local level, according to the Presidential Communications Office.

Unlike his predecessor former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody drug war, Marcos’ approach to the menace focuses on rehabilitation, reintegration and preventive education programs.

More than 6,000 suspects have been killed under Duterte’s war on drugs, a campaign that the former leader said was necessary to save the future generation.

In one of his previous speeches, Marcos said enforcement “only gets you so far” and that law enforcers should be more focused and should go after people who would “make a difference” in the drug supply when caught or sent to jail.

Duterte clears Marcos

Duterte, meanwhile, virtually cleared Marcos in the International Criminal Court case being pursued against him, saying the ICC issue had long been there even before Marcos came into the picture as the country’s chief executive.

The ICC has pushed for the prosecution of Duterte over the reported killings in the campaign against drugs.

“Let me be very clear about it, Marcos has nothing to do with it. (The case) was already there from a long time ago,” Duterte said.

He likewise said the ICC should not be given importance if they come to the country.

“I really do not care if they come here to stay, or for sight-seeing. Let them come, for all I care,” Duterte said. “Leave ICC alone, and even human rights… If there is anything I did, it was because I did it for our country.” – Edith Regalado