Manila: Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III has called Oplan Tokhang, the flagship anti-drug campaign of the previous Duterte administration, a flawed operation marked by falsehood. During the oath-taking of officers of the PNP Press Corps at Camp Crame, Torre expressed that the campaign was based on misinformation that originated within their ranks.
According to Philippines News Agency, Torre criticized the concept of Oplan Tokhang, where PNP operatives were supposed to knock on the doors of drug suspects and ask them to cease their illegal activities. Critics have argued that the operation served as a pretext for extrajudicial killings, resulting in the deaths of more than 30,000 individuals in alleged shootouts with law enforcement. The previous administration, however, reported a lower figure of 6,200 drug traffickers and users killed.
Torre further described 'tokhang' as an illogical approach that should not have been implemented within the PNP. He emphasized that if there is strong evidence against a suspect, police officers should not resort to pleading but rather enforce the law by serving warrants and apprehending offenders. He also highlighted that police officers involved in 'tokhang' committed offenses such as slander and harassment, contributing to public distrust in institutions.
In his remarks, Torre criticized Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who was Duterte's first PNP chief and the architect of the war on drugs, for downplaying the seriousness of the deaths resulting from the campaign. Torre stressed the importance of recognizing each death as a human life, refuting any attempt to trivialize the casualties as mere accidents.
Meanwhile, Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila De Lima met with Torre at Camp Crame to discuss transitional justice for victims of the anti-narcotics campaign. De Lima emphasized the need for truth-telling to achieve closure for the events that transpired during the Duterte administration's drug war. She advocated for openness within the PNP to facilitate investigations and accountability.
De Lima, a longtime critic of Duterte's drug war, agreed with Torre on the necessity of having evidence before confronting suspected offenders. She criticized the arbitrary actions taken during Oplan Tokhang, which often bypassed due process and resulted in the formation of death squads.
De Lima also discussed compensation for drug war victims, referencing Republic Act 7309, which offers up to PHP10,000 for victims of unjust imprisonment, detention, or violent crimes. She plans to propose a bill in the House of Representatives to increase compensation as part of transitional justice measures.
The meeting also covered topics such as prison reform and a unified penitentiary system, which De Lima intends to address in the 20th Congress. Additionally, she touched upon the International Criminal Court (ICC) case against Duterte, emphasizing the need for domestic accountability mechanisms for lower-level perpetrators involved in extrajudicial killings.
Present at the meeting were National Police Commission Vice Chairperson and Executive Officer Rafael Calinisan and Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc.
