Aglipay: We need drug courts

The controversial granting of bail to a Korean national, accused of possession of more than a kilo of shabu and other bungled drug cases in court, has prompted a renewed call for the setting up of drug courts to deal with drug-related cases all over the country.

In his letter to President Arroyo, Deputy Director General Edgar Aglipay, head of the newly-created Anti-Drugs Special Operations Task Force said the setting up of drug courts would fast-track prosecution of drug cases, especially involving Chinese nationals and other foreigners arrested in shabu laboratories.

"We need courts that deal exclusively with drug cases," said Aglipay. "It would hasten the resolution of drug cases and would likely prevent drug syndicates from putting one up over us."

In the past, arrested drug syndicate members were able to escape the country’s justice system by paying off millions of pesos to their police captors, judges, prosecutors and their jailers.

Aglipay renewed his call for the creation of drug courts after Judge Leoncio Janolo of the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 264 granted bail on a mere technicality to suspect, Tae Won Hong, alias Francis, who was arrested last Nov. 20, 2002 for possession of more than a kilo of shabu. Janolo set Tae’s bond at P500,000.

Other cases cited by Aglipay was the granting of bail to seven Chinese nationals caught during a raid in Xavierville Subdivision in Quezon City which yielded more than 100 kilos of shabu. The suspects, however, were brought back to jail upon the intercession of Interior and Local Government Secretary Joey Lina.

Lina, earlier, also vowed to go after erring prosecutors and judges, who "mysteriously" grant bail on drug offenders.

Aglipay said that the practice of granting bail to drug dealers on a mere technicality is demoralizing police anti-narcotics agents. "They put their lives on the line and just like that the arrested drug pushers are back on the streets," said Aglipay, noting that the government loses a great amount of money in the process. – Non Alquitran