Pubdate: Mon, 18 Jul 2016
Source: Manila Times (Philippines)
Copyright: 2016, The Manila Times
Contact:  http://www.manilatimes.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/921

DRUG CAMPAIGN HIT FOR TARGETING 'SMALL FRY'

A Party-List Lawmaker on Sunday Slammed the Government's Anti-Illegal 
Drug Campaign, Pointing Out That Only "Small Fry" Had Been Killed 
While Police Generals Linked to Big-Time Traffickers "Walk."

Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza said he supports President Rodrigo Duterte's 
war on drugs, but bewailed the "apparent government-sanctioned 
extrajudicial killings of mostly small fry."

"We want all those engaged in the illicit drug trade, big and small, 
but especially the big ones, captured and locked up. But we cannot 
tolerate summary executions, especially if all those targeted are 
mere street-level pushers," Atienza noted in a statement.

The lawmaker said at least 135 persons, mostly suspected neighborhood 
pushers, have been killed this month. "If these victims of 
extrajudicial killings were really known pushers, then they should 
have been in jail a long time ago in a corruption-free drug 
enforcement drive," Atienza added.

Empirical evidence needed

When asked by reporters why only small-time drug suspects had been 
captured or killed, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said such 
claims needed to be supported by "facts, by empirical evidence."

"As far as we know, the operations of the Philippine National Police 
have always been in pursuit of peddling or pushing drugs," he told 
the government-run Radyo ng Bayan over the weekend.

But there has been "no strong action versus conniving generals" since 
the President's revelation that of the drug trade, Atienza said.

During the Philippine Air Force anniversary rites last July 4, 
Duterte named two former and three active of illegal drug rings: 
retired deputy director general Marcelo Garbo Jr., retired chief 
superintendent Vicente Loot, Director Joel Pagdilao, Chief Supt. 
Bernardo Diaz and Chief Supt. Edgardo Tinio.

"We have to eradicate the big coddlers in law enforcement, if we are 
to effectively suppress the supply side of the drug problem. We're 
afraid getting rid of the easily replaceable smallest players in the 
supply chain won't make much of a dent," Atienza said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom