By Zaldy De Layola | Philippine News Agency
The reward-and-quota system in the anti-illegal drug campaign during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration emboldened some police officers to commit abuses and human rights violations, according to PLTCOL. Jovie Espenido on Wednesday.
During the House Quad Committee’s investigation on the drug war in the Duterte administration, Espenido said that although some drug lords had been neutralized, most of those killed were “victims—ordinary users, peddlers.”
“Masabi ko, Your Honors, na marami ang nasiyahan. Because sa akin naman, hinanap na ’yong source ng drugs. But then, very sad to say na ang nangyari, ’yong mga biktima lang ang napatay, ’yong mga pusher, user,” Espenido told the panel.
He alleged people close to the former president and his own colleagues in the Philippine National Police (PNP) have abused the “tokhang” (knock and plead) drive largely for personal gain.
In his affidavit, Espenido said intelligence funds and money from Philippine offshore gambling operations (POGOs) were used to fund the reward system.
“After these POGOs were able to register with the government, funding was funneled downward from the level of Bong Go,” he said, referring to Duterte’s close aide and now Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go.
He alleged that human rights violations were committed during the previous administration’s war against illegal drugs where, according to government data, over 6,200 drug personalities were killed as of March 2022.
“Para sa akin, mga biktima sila, gusto ko sana silang bigyan ng second chance,” he said.
Espenido said that when he was assigned in Leyte province, Ozamiz City and Bacolod City, he told his law enforcers to spare the victims and instead go after big-time pushers, suppliers, and drug lords.
“My mission was for the drug suspects to surrender to be rehabilitated. Nobody died during my stints in Albuera (Leyte) and Bacolod,” he said.
Under the quota and reward system imposed by the PNP leadership, Espenido said “we had to knock on the doors of 50-100 households suspected of drug use or pushing.”
He said based on his knowledge “there was a reward of P20,000 per kill.”
“The funding came from operators of small-town lottery or jueteng lords who give money to the PNP regional commanders, provincial commanders, down the line,” he said.
He said the police stations he headed accepted rewards only from local government units, and the money was used “to fund further operations.”
