PNP Chief Highlights Flaws in Oplan Tokhang
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Nicolas Torre III openly criticized the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign, describing the strategy known as Oplan Tokhang as fundamentally flawed.
Speaking at a PNP Press Corps event held at Camp Crame on Wednesday night, Torre emphasized the problems with the core concept behind Oplan Tokhang. “Oplan Tokhang, in its most basic concept, is flawed,” he said. He questioned the logic of the approach, where police officers visit suspects’ homes, knock on their doors, and plead with them to stop illegal activities without having solid evidence.
The term “Tokhang” is a combination of two Filipino words: “toktok,” meaning to knock, and “hangyo,” meaning to plead. This campaign under former President Duterte aimed to reduce the drug problem through these house visits.
Controversy Over Drug War Death Toll
Human rights groups have estimated that Duterte’s drug war resulted in between 12,000 and 30,000 deaths, many of which involved poor communities and people who allegedly resisted arrest. These figures have sparked international criticism and investigations.
General Torre also addressed claims that the case against the former president was weak and that the number of deaths cited by human rights groups was exaggerated. Some argue that only 43 deaths were officially linked to the arrest warrants.
Calling such claims “fake news in its cruelest form,” Torre condemned the trivialization of victims’ families’ suffering. “Let us be clear: the deaths of drug war victims are not as someone famously shrugged, ‘Shit happens,’” he said firmly. “Healing begins with acknowledging laws.”
Though Torre did not name the individual responsible for the controversial remark, it was former Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Duterte’s first PNP chief and architect of the campaign, who infamously said “shit happens” in response to the death of a 3-year-old girl during a police operation in Rizal in 2019.
Distancing Police from the Drug War
General Torre led the police enforcement of the arrest warrant against Duterte this past March. The former president now faces detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity linked to the drug war. The confirmation of charges hearing is set for September 23.
Since assuming the PNP leadership last June, Torre has sought to distance the police institution from the harsh tactics of Duterte’s anti-narcotics campaign. When the Commission on Human Rights raised concerns about his directive for officers to increase arrests as part of their performance metrics, Torre clarified that only “legal” arrests were to be pursued, emphasizing adherence to the law.
Sources noted that Torre’s stance signals a shift toward more lawful and accountable policing, steering away from the controversial and deadly methods employed in the past.
For more news and updates on Oplan Tokhang, visit Filipinokami.com.
