PNP clarifies SAF deployment in Davao City

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police yesterday denied that the deployment of two PNP Special Action Force (SAF) battalions to Davao is political in nature and intended to help International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators.

Two SAF battalions were deployed on May 24 after 35 police officers in Davao City were relieved from their posts on the same day.

Among those relieved was Davao City police chief Col. Richard
 Bad-ang following the deaths of seven drug suspects in March.

Bad-ang’s relief was recommended pending an investigation into drug-related killings in the city.

Davao Mayor Sebastian Duterte declared an all-out campaign against illegal drugs when he welcomed Bad-ang as city police chief in March.

The PNP clarified that the deployment of SAF personnel has nothing to do with the relief of the 35 Davao police officers.

“SAF units have long been deployed in the Davao region and are distributed across various provinces. It is not concentrated solely in Davao,” PNP chief publicist Col. Jean Fajardo said on May 27 at a press briefing at Camp Crame.

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV on May 2 said the ICC is expected to issue an arrest warrant for former president Rodrigo Duterte and others in June or July, in connection with his administration’s bloody war on drugs.

“Based on the information gathered, this warrant of arrest would come in batches. The first batch is only (for) one, only Duterte, the father. The second (batch) is for the (other) principal actors, as far as I know,” he said.

Apart from Duterte and his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte, other personalities reportedly investigated by the ICC are his “tokhang” enforcer Sen. Ronald dela Rosa and former aide Sen. Bong Go.

Last month, Trillanes alleged that two police generals in Mindanao were plotting to destabilize the government and oust President Marcos. — Edith Regalado