No more EJKs in BIDA

The two illegal drugs cases filed last week by anti-drug operatives against Juanito Jose D. Remulla, the son of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, are currently undergoing preliminary investigations at the prosecution level. Like any other accused facing criminal charges, the younger Remulla is going through the normal or standard proceedings in the observance of due process of law.

The Justice Secretary immediately recused himself from his son’s cases since it involved the prosecutors under his supervision. Remulla’s son is represented by a family lawyer. Skepticisms and suspicions though still persist that the two cases might be railroaded on technicalities, if not dashed with conspiracy theories of supposed possible set-up.

The Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is the main complainant in these two cases in behalf of the Republic of the Philippines. The accused is cooling his heels at the PDEA detention for his non-bailable offenses on the illegal importation and possession of “kush,” a kind of hybrid marijuana.

A number of lawmakers who were former colleagues in Congress of the Justice Secretary were filling the information gap with speculations and conspiracy theories.

One Congressman even questioned how come the package of kush slipped past the US Customs. For your information Your Honor, the use of marijuana has been legalized in California where the kush delivered to Remulla came from. US President Joe Biden has even issued an Executive Order last Oct.6 that granted pardon to those convicted with simple marijuana possession conviction in federal courts.

PDEA official spokesman Derrick Carreon has repeatedly told media they have airtight cases against the young Remulla. “The process was followed to the letter and the fact that we beat the reglamentary period for filing the case meant that the process was followed appropriately,” Carreon touted. The PDEA spokesman cited the “controlled delivery” was done by PDEA undercover agents, with the participation of the delivery service provider as witnesses.

However, the government has a very poor track record in illegal drugs cases. No less than Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. expressed concern over the results of a recent study of very low conviction rate on illegal drugs cases filed in courts. Abalos further deplored that many drugs cases were being dismissed due to the lack of witnesses.

In a public hearing of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs last Sept.1, Police Major General Benjamin Santos testified that the conviction rate in illegal drug cases was only at 0.88%. This was based on the number of cases filed by the Philippine National Police (PNP). “That’s less than 1 percent,” Santos told the House panel. According to him, most of the cases were dismissed due to a technicality involving the handling of evidence.

During our Kapihan sa Manila Bay last Oct.12, Abalos vowed to address forthrightly this low conviction rate on these illegal drugs cases. All the way down to the level of  barangays nationwide, Abalos stressed this is the highlight of the whole of government approach in continuing the campaign against the illegal drugs menace in our country.

To strengthen the campaign, the DILG chief called upon local government units (LGUs) to activate the more than 42,000 Barangay Anti-Drug Councils. Abalos cited his own experience while he was Mayor of Mandaluyong City for three consecutive terms. Under the country’s anti-drug laws, authorities should have at least two witnesses from anyone in the barangay, government, members of the media, and DOJ personnel in their anti-drug operations. He recalled the city of Mandaluyong did not suffer any setbacks in courts on illegal drugs cases due to technicalities because their barangays were actively engaged as witnesses.

The supply side of the illegal drugs trafficking are amply covered already by the PNP, PDEA, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the other law enforcement arms of the government, Abalos pointed out. The DILG chief promised the “same intensity” of the law enforcement to go after the sources of illegal drugs and big-time trafficking syndicates. “We will not just arrest and charge them but as a lawyer, we will ensure conviction (by courts),” Abalos vowed.

He reiterated the warning of sanctions against cops who deliberately fail to show up in court hearings without a valid reason. He, however, recognized the problem related to re-assignments of policemen to other areas that prevent them to attend to court hearings. So he asked the Supreme Court and the DOJ to come up with a system that would allow online or internet so police officers who cannot make it physically to such legal proceedings can still testify.

But Abalos is more excited to give us this glimpse of how the present administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will conduct a new anti-drug campaign that already had a “soft launching” last Oct.7. The new campaign started with the signing of Memorandum of Understanding that seeks to unify efforts of stakeholders against illegal drugs with the DILG as the lead agency.

It is aptly dubbed as the ‘Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan,’ or BIDA Program.

According to Abalos, the BIDA program is the intensified and more holistic campaign against illegal drugs to reduce drug demand in the communities. While the PNP, PDEA, NBI and other agencies of government continue the “same intensity” in the war against drugs, the BIDA program promises to conduct this within the framework of the law, with respect for human rights, and complemented by rehabilitation and socio-economic development.

So no more drug-related extrajudicial killings (EJKs), hopefully under the BIDA program.

As a collective action, Abalos cited, the program is focused on the grassroots in targeting not only rehabilitation but also prevention, and fostering anti-drug education at every level, down to barangay activities and school events. The word bida in Tagalog means the lead role. But BIDA here is not Abalos but the program.