Manila, June 3 -- Newly appointed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III on Tuesday said all actions committed by the police force, particularly in the campaign against illegal drugs, adhere to the country's laws and protect the rights of citizens.

Torre's remarks came after the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) expressed concern over his directive that the number of arrests linked to illegal drugs will be among the standards in assessing police personnel's performance.

"We are not encouraging illegal shortcuts, nor are we measuring success solely by the number of arrests. What we are advocating for is genuine, lawful action. Everything we do is within the ambit of the law," Torre said in a statement.

He said all ...