With four of its top cops tagged as co-perpetrators in the drug war-related crime against humanity case before the International Criminal Court (ICC), the current Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership vowed to institutionalize policy reforms anchored on strict adherence to police operational procedures. 

The PNP’s operational procedures are geared towards the rule of law, transparency and accountability and PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr. said these are exactly what he wants to instill in all policemen in the conduct of operations not only to protect to protect them from legal trouble but also the entire organization.

 “There have been significant improvements in terms of institutionalizing policies anchored on integrity and accountability as we aim to transform the Philippine National Police into a reliable police force that has the trust and respect by the Filipino people we vowed to serve and protect,” said Nartatez.

Nartatez made the assurance amid renewed discussions on the stigma brought by the drug war which portrayed policemen as ruthless, human rights violators and cash reward-driven amid allegations of the existence of bounty for every slain users and pushers.

More than 6,000 people were killed in police operations in the six-year drug war, aside from thousands more who died at the hands of drug war-inspired vigilante groups, including children and other innocent civilians who allegedly died in the infamous ‘nanlaban’ narrative.

Four former top officials of the PNP—Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, Oscar Albayalde and Cascolan and Vicente Danao who briefly served as PNP officer-in-charge—were included in the charge sheet as co-perpetrators in the drug war during the Duterte administration. Cascolan passed away in 2023. 

Nartatez said the PNP will continue to sustain the peace and order gains in the past three years, particularly in further reducing the crime rate, and including significant gains in the campaign against illegal drugs. 

He reminded police officers that accountability comes with the badge and the uniform, and assured personnel who acted within the law that the organization will stand by them.

“The support system in the PNP for dedicated and hardworking personnel is strong. We have your back against any form of harassment in the performance of your duty,” said Nartatez.

“However, you must also understand that accountability is part of our uniform, and we will be tough against any form of abuses and actions that compromise the integrity of our organization,” he stressed.

Nartatez underscored that the PNP has institutional safeguards to prevent abuses and ensure that orders are lawful, adding that operational procedures are clear and constantly reinforced in training and field briefings. 

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier said the drug war campaign against the Marcos administration only proved that the anti-illegal drugs could be carried out successfully without bloodshed.

He said the Marcos administration already seized P99.5 billion worth of illegal drugs in just a span of three years, compared to almost the same figure during the Duterte administration’s six-year campaign.

Of the figure, around P25.3 billion of them were seized in aggressive police operations for the entire 2025 alone, according to the PNP.

The same operations last year also resulted in the arrest of over 67,000 illegal drug personalities.