No regrets

The striking thing about the principal players in the war on drugs is their lack of remorse.

- ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN

Former president Rodrigo Duterte, facing the Senate and later the quad committee of the House of Representatives, said he would do it again, if given the chance. His chief enforcer, cop-turned-senator Ronald dela Rosa, also has no regrets, whether in the drug war or in his life.

In an hour-long talk with The Philippine STAR's "Truth on the Line" last Friday, Bato dela Rosa modified his previous statements when I asked if, in hindsight, he would have done anything differently in the crackdown on illegal drugs.

Dela Rosa had previously said he would have cleaned up the Philippine National Police first, to reduce the chances of abuses.

This time, he said the PNP housecleaning pre-Oplan Tokhang was not possible because they were pressed for time. Duterte had promised in his campaign that he would eradicate the drug menace within six months of becoming president. They had to hit the ground running, Dela Rosa said.

Could Tokhang, of which he is the architect, have been implemented differently, with some consideration for human rights?

Dela Rosa echoed what Duterte has been saying about fighting this scourge: you can't play nice with drug dealers; killings and armed encounters are inevitable.

Duterte had previously denied that there was a cash reward system and quotas set for drug kills, as claimed by former police officials including Royina Garma. The cash reward, reportedly administered by resigned National Police Commission official and ex-cop Edilberto Leonardo with Sen. Bong Go as the paymaster, is seen to be the reason for the unusually high number of people killed, mostly impoverished folks, on mere suspicion of involvement in illegal drugs.