PROBE SOUGHT ON DISMISSAL OF DRUG CASES IN BAGUIO

BAGUIO City police chief Francisco Manalo Jr. has informed Mayor Bernardo
Vergara that he has forwarded a request to the Department of Justice (DOJ)
to look into the "unreasonable dismissal of drug cases" in the city.

"We want to be clarified on the outright dismissal of these cases in the
prosecutor's level," Manalo told Vergara Monday, adding that City
Prosecutor Benny Carantes was already furnished a copy of the letter.

He pointed out that the cases in question were presented with very strong
evidences.

Vergara, in turn, told Manalo and Carantes to hold a separate meeting with
regards the matter.

This developed even as Interior Secretary Jose Lina Jr., who also chairs
the Dangerous Drugs Board, warned prosecutors, officers and personnel of
the police force, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and other law
enforcement agencies that "administrative and criminal charges shall be
filed against them should they bungle the prosecution of drug cases."

Under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act,
"prosecutors, police officers and personnel who through patent laxity,
inexcusable neglect, unreasonable delay or deliberately cause the
unsuccessful prosecution and/or dismissal of drug cases may be imprisoned
for 12 years and one day to 20 years."

Lina stressed that incompetence of these law enforcers will not go
unpunished. "We shall hold them liable should their inaction result in the
dismissal of drug cases and the acquittal of the accused in said cases."

It is imperative that prosecutors and police officers to attend court
hearings until their termination to ensure that evidences are secured and
the complaints properly and timely filed without delay, he added. "This is
to ensure also the successful prosecution of the case as well as the
conviction of the accused."

Earlier, the DILG has also scheduled a seminar for prosecutors, judges and
officers as well as members of law enforcement community to appraise them
of the salient provisions of RA 9165. The seminar is part of the
government's over-all efforts to combat illegal drugs in the country.

Lina said the seminar would provide the participants with a better
understanding and appreciation of the new anti-drugs law, which, in turn,
would boost the government's determined campaign against the drug menace.

"With the members of our criminal justice system well-informed and truly
appreciative of the new law, we are highly optimistic that the government's
crusade against illegal drugs would succeed," he stressed. "We don't want
these drug traffickers and peddlers to go scot-free and escape conviction
through technicality due to the sloppy work of our lawmen and prosecutors,
hence, this seminar is very timely as it would appraise them of the salient
provisions of RA 9165 as well as clarify their respective role in the
government's campaign against illegal drugs."-with reports from the dilg