Drug law schooling for police station commanders

To avoid malicious charges, such as robbery-extortion and planting of evidence, some 60 station and precinct commanders and heads of the drug enforcement units in Metro Manila were "educated" yesterday on the proper enforcement of the new law against drug traffickers.

"It is important for station commanders and other police officials in the metropolis to be taught the provisions of the amended Dangerous Drugs Act (Republic Act 9165)," Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco said.

Velasco is hoping that with the new knowledge, police officials would intensify their anti-drug campaigns, eventually resulting in more arrests and larger quantities of seized illegal drugs, such as shabu.

The National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) conducted a total of 1,257 anti-drugs operations since Velasco assumed his post last July 29, resulting in the arrest of 1,866 drug traffickers and users and the confiscation of 47,345.95 grams of shabu.

Velasco, in close coordination with the University of the Philippines Law Center, conducted a seminar on the new Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act for all station and precinct commanders and heads of DEUs at the former EIIB building in Diliman, Quezon City. The seminar was organized by Carmelo Sison, director of the UP Law Center Institute of Government and Law Reform.

Velasco said police officials should know the new provisions of the law, noting that arrested drug suspects often file counter-charges against arresting officers because of the lapses committed by the raiding police units.

The police officials in turn, he said, should educate their subordinates so the law "would be enforced to the letter."

During the seminar, the NCRPO launched a legal assistance program to encourage police officers to perform their duties without fear of possible counter-charges or harassment by arrested drug dealers and users.