The Duterte administration's campaign against illegal drugs has already claimed the lives of 12 policemen and injured 16 others since its implementation in July, police the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.
Supt. Arnel Esmaña, assistant chief of the moral and welfare division of the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management, said the figures include policemen involved in actual operations and not those who were subject of the operation.
"The latest fatality on the part of PNP was PO1 Romeo Mandapat Jr. We include only those killed on police operation. We also eliminated some of the names in the list because it was later found out that some of those previously included were not injured in police operations," Esmaña said in a press briefing.
He said most of the casualties were due to "resistance of criminals."
"Some of the operations were successful but there were casualties because of the resistance of criminals," Esmaña said. "Patuloy ang pagsisikap ng PNP na ma-provide sila ng safety gears lalo na at massive and intensive ang enforcement ng operations."
The PNP has been under fire due to the high number of drug suspects killed during police anti-drug operations. The police said these suspects resisted arrest and tried to shoot it out with the arresting officers.
Benefits
He said families of those killed received P250,000.00 from the government, as well as lifetime PNP pension which is equivalent to 50 percent of base pay and longetivity pay, among others.
On the other hand, those who sustained major injuries received P100,000 while those who suffered minor injuries got P50,000. Police personnel suffered permanent injuries got 250,000.
Esmaña said there were also educational assistance for the dependents.
He said the PNP is now crafting a memorandum circular for the expeditious issuance of the investigation report, line of duty status report, and other pertinent documents needed for the processing of benefits.
"The purpose of which is to expedite the processing and eventually the release of all the benefits due to beneficiaries of those PNP personnel who were killed or wounded in police operations," the police official said.
He said included in the circular is the designation of a same gender survivor officer.
"Gaya ng sabi ni Presidente [Rodrigo Duterte] kung yung balo ay babae, yung survivor officer na maga-assist dapat ay babae rin para magkaroon ng magandang working relationship," Esmaña said.
Asked if he thinks the benefits being provided by the PNP to its killed or wounded personnel were enough, Esmaña answered in the affirmative.
"I think sapat naman po ang benefits. The PNP is exhausting all for the benefit of the personnel. Meron pa ring pension, commendation, not only yung presidential fund," he said.
Serious fight
PNP spokesperson Senior Supt Dionardo Carlos said the death of the police personnel only shows their seriousness in the fight against illegal drugs.
We have personnel being killed, ipinapakita lamang nito na seryoso ang kampanya. We are trying to provide protective gear to our personnel, he said, adding the PNP does not want the number of those getting killed, whether police or suspects, to increase.
"We cannot control to number [of fatalities]. If they [drug suspects] want to fight, we have no choice but to protect the people. Pag inilagay sa kapahamakan ang buhay ng pulis, poprotektahan namin ang aming sarili. Mas gusto namin na sumurender na lang [ang mga drug suspects]," Carlos said.
"If they opt to fight it out we will fight them. We are losing policemen in this fight, there are lives being lost here but hindi dahil gusto namin, ang gusto namin ay mag-surrender sila." he added.
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