The Philippine National Police (PNP) disputed on Tuesday, July 7, a report accusing the police organization of covering up the wrongdoings of its men in the conduct of anti-illegal drugs operations in the country.

"Hindi kailanman naging polisiya ng PNP ang panggigipit at pang-aabuso sa mga mahihirap nating kababayan at lalong lalo na ang pagtatakip ng mga kamalian sa aming hanay (There was never a policy in the PNP to harass and abuse our countrymen, and in covering up the wrongdoings in our ranks),” said Eleazar in a statement.

“Batid namin ang mga alegasyong ito subalit ipinapaalam din namin sa ating mga kababayan na mahigit 18,000 na ang naparusahang pulis sa nakalipas na limang taon at kabilang dito ang pagtanggal sa serbisyo ng mahigit 5,000 sa aming hanay dahil sa iba’t-ibang kaso ng pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan. (We are aware of these allegations but we would like to inform them that there are more than 18,000 policemen who were punished in the ast five years, more than 5,000 of them were dismissed from the services for various offenses)” he added.

Eleazar was responding to allegations by the group Investigate PH in its report which accused the PNP of covering up killings in anti-illegal drug operations and intimidating the victims’ families.

The group claimed it would soon submit its report to the 47th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

But Eleazar emphasized that the police organization has been open and willing to cooperate in local investigations into the alleged irregularities of policemen in anti-illegal drug operations. He also questioned the veracity of some claims of police abuses in the drug war, citing the incident in Laguna wherein the scientific investigation disputed claims that the two drug suspects, one of them was a 16-year old, were handcuffed before they were shot dead.

"Our investigations on some of these allegations proved that there were cases that the lives of our operating policemen were put to risk," said Eleazar.

"And we would like to inform them that a number of policemen were also killed and wounded in the conduct of our campaign against illegal drugs," he added.

The PNP has submitted for review by the DOJ case folders on police anti-illegal drug operations where there were deaths, either of suspects or police operatives.

“I understand your point of ensuring a professional PNP and of human rights-based approach in the conduct of our operations but what I can assure you is that these are all being observed and strictly monitored—the exact reason why there have been thousands of policemen who were punished and dismissed from the service,” the PNP Chief stressed.