REPORT ON INVESTIGATED KILLINGS IN RELATION TO THE ANTI-ILLEGAL DRUG CAMPAIGN 4.2 Patterns of Discrepancies As noted in the earlier section, alleged buy-bust operations (387), warrantless arrests (91), and implementation of court-issued warrants (70) comprise the greatest number of incidents involving law enforcers. The police claimed that these operations were done pursuant to the rules embodied in the Revised PNP-POP Handbook and the Revised PNP Manual on Anti-Illegal Drugs Operations and Investigation. In alleged buy-bust operations, police habitually claim that surveillance, monitoring, or test-buy was conducted to verify the information provided by a confidential informant on the sale of illegal drugs by the victims. These police activities are usually conducted hours before the reported buy-bust operation by either the police operatives or their informant.24 A positive result of these preparatory steps would then prompt the conduct of a buy-bust operation. Prior to the transaction, the police poseur-buyer, a confidential informant, the arresting officer, the backup teams, and the perimeter security personnel would all strategically position themselves to avoid detection from the subject and to enable them to respond in the event of arrest. During the transaction, the assigned poseur-buyer and informant purchase from the subject a pre-determined amount of illegal drugs, which shall be paid with marked money. The poseur-buyer would then execute a pre-arranged signal like the removal of his cap, him shaking hands with the subject, or going out of the place of transaction. This is to alert the arresting officers and the backup teams to assist in the arrest of the suspects. An almost similar procedure for verifying information gathered from an informant is followed in the service of search warrants and warrants of arrest. Particularly, in implementation of search warrants, the police would prepare an application for search warrant before the local courts. In most cases, once warrants are issued, these operations are conducted within three days from receipt by the police. Prior to entry, the search and investigation teams, and perimeter security teams would all strategically position themselves in the same manner as they would do in buy-bust operations. Thereafter, during the entry, the police operatives designated shall supposedly read,25 explain, and furnish a copy of the search warrant to the suspect/s and/or occupant/s in the presence of witnesses who are, in most cases, barangay officials, DOJ personnel, and media representatives. However, in most of the accounts analyzed, the victim would pull out a gun and fire at them at an instant, or try to flee away. However, the Commission has recorded controverting statements from witnesses in 133 incidents. Witnesses claimed, among others, that the actions taken by the police as described in the official reports either did not occur or were done differently. 24 Section 3.1 (a) of the Revised PNP Manual on Anti-Illegal Drugs Operations and Investigation, requires that prior to the conduct of a Buy bust operation, the presence of a surveillance report and if practicable, the conduct of a test-buy, among others. 25 Section 3.2 (b)(6)(b) of the Revised PNP Manual on Anti-Illegal Drugs Operations and Investigation, requires that the Team Leader shall read, explain, and furnish a copy of the Search Warrant to the suspect/s or occupant/s in the presence of at least two witnesses preferably elected Officials or responsible persons in the area. 14