Drug-related killings rose in Ferdinand Marcos Jr’ second year compared to his first year in power. DahasPH, a project run by UP-Diliman’s Third World Studies Center, reported 359 cases of drug killings from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. This is higher than the 342 murders recorded in first year of the regime. Police and other agents of the state claimed responsibility for 34.3% of these killings.

Dahas.ph said most of those killed are “small players” or poor individuals who already surrendered under the former Oplan Tokhang or have been jailed for drug-related charges. Only a small number (42 of the 359 killed) were considered by the police to be “high-value individuals” in the illegal drug trade.

This is contrary to claims of Marcos and regime officials that their “drug war” is “bloodless”. In recent months, police and agents of the anti-drug agency have been reporting extensive “buy-bust” operations and others that have netted hundreds of millions worth of illegal drugs. This includes the controversial seizure of ₱9.36-billion worth of drugs in Alitagtag, Batangas.

As the killings continue, so does the police’s culture of impunity. An example of this is the extrajudicial killing of Bryan Laresma by the police in Batangas on May 24.

A congressional hearing found that contrary to the first report of the police, no buy-bust operation took place and Laresma was not killed in a shoot-out. Laresma did not have a gun. The two police officers themselves admitted that they planted evidence on Laresma’s body to show that he was related to the illegal drug trade. In the account of the victim’s brother, Laresma was just waiting for the rechargeable fan he bought when the police shot him.