Camp Alagar welcomes investigation into drug bust killings

By JOEY NACALABAN
Correspondent .

CAMP Alagar welcomes any investigation into the anti-drug operations here even as it maintained that authorities have “nothing to hide.”

The response comes at the heels of some 60 drug suspects killed in buy-and-bust operations across the region just in August, plus two killed in July.

Camp Alagar spokesman Supt. Surki Sereñas said the number of fatalities is much lesser when compared to other regions, pointing out that the killing of drug suspects averaged here only average 1.6 per month.

“Daghan man lang na tan awon kay sa tanang region kita man ang gakakita. Pero atong mga pulis diri mga bootan,” Sereñas said.

He said the officers concerned were open to any investigation, and that is exactly what the Regional Internal Affairs Service (Rias) is doing.

Sereñas said Rias always conducts motu proprio investigation after every police operation.

“If the investigation says the operatives are criminally liable, they get charged criminally and get dismissed from the service. There is nothing to hide,” Sereñas said.

He also assured that the investigation would be just and impartial because the investigative body is independent of the National Police organization.

Sereñas added that they have not prevented any of the slain suspects’ relatives from filing a complaint.

“If they think the PNP will not be fair in the investigation, they can seek the help of Commission on Human Rights or the National Bureau of Investigation,” he said.

Asked if the all the slain suspects had records of murder or homicide, Sereñas said they target drug suspects who are in the lists of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and other government agencies.

“If (they are) not listed, background check, surveillance, and social investigation are conducted, apart from the ‘test buy’ we conduct to see if the target is indeed engaged in the drug trade,” Sereñas said.

Members of the raiding teams alleged that all of the slain drug suspects tried to shoot it out during the buy-and-bust operations.

Another similarity in all of the buy-bust operations, all of the slain drug suspects were allegedly armed with caliber .38 revolver and some even had grenades.

Sereñas said he could not give a “sweeping statement” for all the incidents because it is very unlikely that one buy-and-bust operation is similar to others.