- DCPO chief says lethal force sometimes necessary despite ‘bloodless’ drug war
ACTING DAVAO City Police Office (DCPO) Director, Colonel Hansel Marantan, clarified that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for a “bloodless” drug war should not be taken in absolute terms.
While acknowledging the President’s commitment to a non-lethal approach, Marantan emphasized that there are exemptions to the directive.
“I understand it,” Col. Marantan told the media in an interview. “I remember this statement should not be always taken on absolute context.”
He reiterated his understanding of the President’s statement as a general guideline, allowing for necessary force in situations where officers’ lives are endangered.
“The way I understand it, it is supposed to be generally issued… but under exceptional circumstances when the perpetrators will fight it out and they will put serious resistance upon the law enforcers and no choice but to suppress this serious resistance,” he said.
“Then we take them down. No matter what it is, we take them down,” he further said.
Marantan’s comments come in the wake of President Marcos Jr’s State of the Nation Address where he reaffirmed his commitment to combating illegal drugs without resorting to extermination.
On Tuesday, Police Regional Office XI director affirmed that they would adhere to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to pursue a “bloodless” drug war.
In an interview with reporters, Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III said, “The President’s direction is very clear and requires no further clarification. We will follow that; it’s always been our goal to have a bloodless approach.”
However, he emphasized that the police will exercise self-defense when necessary, citing Article 11 of the Revised Penal Code which outlines justifying circumstances, including the legality of self-defense.
“We will not allow our policemen to be shot or stabbed without defending themselves,” Torre clarified. “Just because the President said ‘bloodless’ doesn’t mean the police can’t act in self-defense when facing threats.”
Torre’s statement highlights the delicate balance between upholding the president’s directive for a less violent approach to the drug war and ensuring the safety of law enforcement officers during operations.
