(Eagle News) — The Philippine National Police on Monday (March 6) announced the return of the government’s anti-drug campaign under the police, with “Oplan Tokhang Revisited” which has more stringent requirements for its operations.
This time, only the chief of police of the station together with the barangay captain or official and a representative of the local parish will conduct the “tokhang” so as to better convince illegal drug suspects to voluntarily try drug rehabilitation.
“It will be less bloody,” assured PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa.
“May kasamang church, para di sabihin na ginagamit ang tokhang for unsolved murders,” he said.
Dela Rosa also announced the formation of a new antidrug group of the national police called PNP “Drug Enforcement Group” to be headed by a veteran of Mindanao wars, Senior
Supt. Graciano Jaylo Mijares, PNP Region III deputy director for administration.
There would also be counterparts in the regional level (regional drug enforcement group), provincial level (provincial drug enforcement group), municipal level (municipal drug enforcement group) and the lowest — at the police station level (station drug enforcement group).
“Ito ngayon istrikto na ang policy sa tokhang. Bahala na mabagal, basta sigurado. Para hindi na masingitan ng luko-lokong pulis,” Dela Rosa said in a press briefing Monday morning in Camp Crame.
He said that the “Oplan Tokhang Revisited” would have to be coordinated with the barangay and the local church, “para may representative.”
“Kasama church representative, kasama barangay official para lalabas na mas credible ang kampanya,” the PNP chief explained.
He said that the problem with “tokhang operations” before was that some scalawag and rogue policemen were able to use these to extort money from people.
This time, regulations would be stricter, he said.
Senior Supt. Mijares, the head of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PNP DEG) is also a very straight police officer with a “clean record,” according to Dela Rosa.
“Beterano na ito sa Mindanao. Kaya palaban ito. He survived the worst encounter in his life. Straight na tao. Walang record ng kalokohan,” Dela Rosa said as he described the head of the new PNP Drug Enforcement Group.
He said that they are still completing the membership of this group as they are looking for the best police officers with clean records.
Mijares, speaking to reporters at PNP Camp Crame this morning, said that “there is life after tokhang” as he stressed the rehabilitation efforts for the illegal drug suspects that the PNP would be doing in coordination with the local government units and the Department of Health.