The spokesperson of the Davao City Police Office said OPLAN BULABOG was meant to arrest suspected lawless elements in areas known to harbor them.
“It is one of the means of the DCPO in preventing violence from developing in the city,” said P/Sr. Inspector Ma. Teresita Gaspan during the Ispeak forum at Davao City Hall.
She said bulabog or “outbreak” is termed according to the planned way of apprehending the suspected persons in specific areas.
She said that under this system, ‘Policemen will come in surprise to the identified haven of suspected lawless elements and conduct an investigation.”
She added that identifying the shelters of suspects, as well with the conduct of investigation, is based on the reports of their confidential informant in every community.
PS Supt. Gaspan also stressed that those who were detained did not resist and were willing to cooperate with the investigation in order to clear their names.
The arrested persons of the OPLAN Bulabog would be released after doing a profiling except for those who have withstanding warrant of arrest.
As of Thursday, May 25, a more or less 50 persons were still detained. The number is expected to increase while OPLAN Bulabog continues to operate.
She also assured the public that in their every operation, human rights would always be upheld properly. “We [will] maintain our position that the work of the police and military is within the concept of human rights’ policy and its system,” she said.
The team assigned to OPLAN Bulabog is expected to observe police operational procedure. The team was also reminded to perform it duties in a way that would curtail the human rights of the every person under investigation.
“We will observe irregularity and we do not tolerate neither encourage inappropriate behavior [of police and military]” Gaspan said.
She also encouraged and reminded the public to report any form of abuse in their Office in order for matters of such to be properly addressed.
