A policeman assigned in Talisay City has been relieved from his post and ordered to submit a written explanation after launching an online “Bring Me Challenge” that offered cash rewards for drug users and pushers, an act that violated police operational procedures.
In the viral video, the uniformed officer offered P2,000 for drug users and P5,000 for street-level pushers, daring his followers to “bring” them under the popular game format.
The video, shot with a cemetery as backdrop, quickly circulated on social media.
Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr. said the challenge—whether intended as social media content or a personal anti-drug campaign—violates established police protocols.
“We have our police operational procedures, and that is not included,” he said.
Nartatez added that the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) and the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) are now conducting an investigation into the officer’s actions.
PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño confirmed that the video has been taken down but preserved for digital forensics.
“While it was already taken down, the video was preserved for the ongoing digital investigation to determine the charges that could be filed against him,” he said, calling the act a clear breach of police procedure.
Tuaño also reminded police content creators to strictly adhere to PNP guidelines on social media use.
The incident comes amid a shift in the Marcos administration’s approach to the anti-illegal drugs campaign, which now emphasizes minimizing violence and preserving lives.
The policy reversal was based on the criticisms and concerns over human rights violations during the drug war— the reason why former President Rodrigo Duterte was charged with a case of crimes against humanity and is now under the custody of the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands. (Aaron Recuenco)
