50 police dead, 144 wounded in Philippines’ war on drugs

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said over 50 policemen have died and 144 wounded since the Duterte administration launched its war on drugs in 2016.

Philippine Chief General of Police, Oscar Albayalde, said on Monday.

Albayalde said in a statement that the latest casualty is a Police Senior Master, Sergeant Conrado Cabigao, 37, who was killed last Saturday during a “buy-bust operation’’ in Rodriguez town in Rizal province.

“Cabigao is the 50th police officer who offered the supreme sacrifice in the PNP’s lonely crusade against illegal drugs since 2016,’’ Albayalde said in a press conference at the PNP headquarters.

He said that many more police anti-drug crusaders among the 144 wounded PNP personnel who survived armed confrontation in similar violent anti-drug operations are living witnesses to the ruthless violence of drug syndicate gang-men.

He added that the drug syndicate have taken up a life of crime and will not give up without a fight.

Albayalde said the 50 policemen were killed during the 153,276 anti-drug operations launched by the police and that the operations resulted in the arrest of 240,565 drug suspects.

The police chief said that the Duterte government is “definitely’’ winning its three-year war against illegal drugs, adding that some authorities always asked if they are winning the war against illegal drugs.

However, he said there was still much to be done to make the Philippines drug free before Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ends his six-year term in 2022.

“We cannot quantify the problem on illegal drugs, but what I am sure is much is yet to be done, and the PNP will double its efforts if necessary.’’

Since taking office on June 30, 2016, Duterte has carried out a war on drugs.

Duterte vowed to eradicate illegal drugs before his term ends in 2022.