Following orders

This is the cost of following orders, whether blindly or knowingly, in the Philippine National Police: 214 cops faced 352 criminal charges, with 20 still in detention, for carrying out the war on drugs during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. Another 195 cops were sacked while 398 face possible dismissal from the PNP over administrative cases.

- ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN

They are among 1,286 police officers "affected" by Duterte's crackdown, as counted by PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil.

The 1,286 include 312 who were killed and 974 who were injured during anti-drug operations, according to Marbil, who laments that the cops have received little help in their legal and financial woes.

In a statement to the media, Marbil said the PNP should not bear "sole responsibility" for the brutal war on drugs because police were also "equally affected" by the crackdown.

"The numbers remind us that the impact of the anti-drug campaign was deeply felt by our police force as well," Marbil said. "Several police officers endured not only physical harm, but also found themselves entangled in legal and administrative challenges."

Last Monday, congressmen filled in what Marbil did not say: Duterte has not delivered on the promise he often made during his presidency, that the PNP members who carried out his crackdown on illegal drugs need not worry about possible lawsuits.

Facing the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee recently, Duterte also said he was taking "full legal, moral responsibility" for his war on drugs, which he began when he was mayor of Davao City, and which he hoped to replicate nationwide when he became president.

Throughout Oplans Tokhang and Double Barrel, the PNP maintained that the drug killings arose from legitimate law enforcement operations, with suspects slain because they resisted arrest or nanlaban.

The PNP reported over 6,000 nanlaban deaths in anti-drug operations. Human rights groups, counting those killed by vigilantes in civilian clothes, say the figure is closer to 30,000.