STIFF PENALTY MULLED FOR COPS LINKED TO DRUG EVIDENCE THEFT

CEBU CITY - Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, South District) is mulling
an amendment to the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Cuenco said that if the congressional inquiry on the missing two kilos
of "shabu" finds that the four Maritime policemen indeed pocketed two
of the four kilos of the illegal stuff they seized from a drug
courier, he would push for a stiffer penalty for the offense.

He said he would file a bill that would impose life sentence or even
death penalty instead of the present 12-20 years of imprisonment on
law enforcers who bungle cases or "misappropriate" or steal evidence
from suspects.

Cuenco told reporters that law enforcers who steal illegal drugs from
suspects should be meted the death penalty, a sentence similar to
those who are found guilty of selling shabu.

"What else would they do with the shabu? Of course, they will sell it.
So there should be no reason that stealing of evidence would have a
lighter penalty," Cuenco said.

Cuenco, who authored Republic Act 9165 and is vice chairman of the
House committee on dangerous drugs, said this will be discussed in the
congressional inquiry he plans to hold on Aug. 27.

The Cebuano congressman made the pronouncement as the committee on
dangerous drugs of the House of Representatives is set to conduct an
inquiry on the missing two kilos of "shabu" that was allegedly taken
by some elements of the Maritime Police Group from a suspected drug
courier.

Drug courier Willy Solon, who arrived in Cebu last July 28 from
Manila, was arrested at the port area by the maritime police.

Solon who was allegedly brought to two pension houses before the
Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) was informed about the
arrest 13 hours later.

Cuenco said the committee would invite to the inquiry several persons,
including Solon, his lawyer Noel Archival and the operatives of the
Maritime Group.