Oplan Tokhang, Project Double Barrel now temporarily stopped -- Dela Rosa

MANILA -- Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald Bato Dela Rosa on Monday said the implementation of Oplan Tokhang and Project Double Barrel are now temporarily stopped.This was after Dela Rosa dissolved all the anti-illegal drugs units of the PNP pursuant to the directive of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.The PNP chief admitted that the President has revoked the power of the PNP to operate in connection with illegal drugs.As of Monday, Dela Rosa said, instead of the war on drugs, the PNP will now focus on war on scalawag policemen.He said this means that they are now focused on internal cleansing after the successive crimes involving policemen, particularly the death of Korean national Jee Ick Joo.Dela Rosa said the PNP will create the Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) which will investigate all policemen, especially those who were charged before but were reinstated into service after filing their respective appeals.Initially, he said, the CITF will be composed of 100 policemen which will be headed by a Senior Superintendent.However, as of Monday, Dela Rosa said, they are now in the process of selecting the chief of the CITF.Aside from internal cleansing, he said, the PNP will now focus on the eradication of the seven focused crimes.Dela Rosa cited the good start of the PNP in the war on illegal drugs, however, they could not do anything but to follow the directives of President Duterte.The PNP chief stressed that the war on illegal drugs is continuous but the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) will now be the lead agency. (PNA)LGI/PTR