PNP reviews dismissed drug cases for better operations, accountability
MANILA, Philippines — Leadership of the Philippine National Police disclosed Monday that it ordered the accounting of all dismissed drug cases since 2016, when the government launched its "war on drugs", and see where adjustments can be made in police anti-drug operations.
“Having data and information on these dismissed drug cases since the war on drugs started in 2016 would truly help the PNP leadership determine the interventions needed so that the junking by the courts of drug cases filed by the police would be avoided in the future,” Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, PNP chief, said.
The police chief said that the PNP is aiming to improve the conviction rate, particularly in drug-related cases, noting that a higher conviction rate would reflect the success of the campaign against illegal drugs.
He added that the PNP also wants to identify police personnel who caused the dismissal of the cases by committing irregularities in the conduct of anti-illegal drugs operations and weakening the prosecution’s evidence.
Eleazar admitted to the possibility of some police officers being involved with the accused and causing the dismissal of the drug cases.
"If we have good accounting of dismissed cases, we will be able to trace who among our personnel is involved in corruption," he said.
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This comes after the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 64 dismissed the drug case against FlipTop rapper Marlon Peroramas, also known as Loonie, over the “unjustified deviation” from the chain of custody rule by the arresting officer.
Following the dismissal of the drug case, Peroramas said he was considering filing counter-charges against the police, stressing that drugs that police said they recovered were planted on him.
Eleazar said he welcomed the move, saying Peroramas has the right to do that.
In a video message posted to his official page, the rapper challenged the PNP to probe the police officers who filed drug charges against him.
"What we humbly and respectfully ask from your office is give these issues attention and action and I hope an investigation will be launched against those involved in our case," Loonie said.
READ: Court clears FlipTop rapper Loonie, 3 others of drug charge
'Winning the war on drugs'?
Eleazar pointed out that since the "war on drugs" started in July 2016, more arrests of drug offenders have been recorded. Government data shows that 289,622 drug suspects have been arrested in 200,632 anti-illegal drug operations.
However, the police's own figures also acknowledge over 6,000 deaths in operations. Rights groups estimate that the actual number of drug-related killings could reach as high as 30,000.
Of cases handled by the police Internal Affairs Service, only 53 that are marked as solved have been surrendered to the Department of Justice for investigation. The PNP organization says this is proof of its willingness to cooperate.
“The conviction of all these arrested drug suspects would prove we are winning the war on drugs and that it has been effectively curbing the further proliferation of illegal drugs in the country,” Eleazar went as far as saying.
In 2020, though, crystal methamphetamines or shabu was still found to be behind the most arrest and treatment admissions in the Philippines, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime found in a report.
Citing figures from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Dangerous Drugs Board, the UNODC said that shabu "remains the main drug of concern in the Philippines" with just a year left under the Duterte administration.
According to the government's Real Numbers PH info campaign, 13,400 barangays are yet to be classified as "drug-free" out of 42,045.
The president's landslide win in 2016 was founded on, among other things, ambitious promises of ending drugs and criminality within the first six months of his term. He later asked for a six-month extension that he also later failed to meet.
READ: With a year left in Duterte's term, UNODC says shabu still a major problem in the Philippines
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