SPECIAL COURTS FOR DRUG CASES EYED TO SPEED UP TRIALS-DOJ

THE Department of Justice will ask the Supreme Court to set up a special
court whose sole job is to handle drug-related cases.

Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuno said the designation of a special
court for drug cases would speed up the trial and resolution of drug cases.

Zuno explained: "There are special courts handling heinous crimes not only
drug cases, but we can file a request with the Office of the Court
Administrator for the designation of a special court to try only drug cases."

But Zuno said a special court for drug cases could also be done by rotation
or alternately because some judges might get "bored" if they would handle
only drug-related cases.

Zuno said he would have to consult the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
(PDEA) before he formally brings up the matter to the Office of the Court
Administrator.

Zuno said the justice department has been giving priority to drug cases
filed before the department.

"In our department, insofar as the preliminary investigation is concerned,
we see to it that all the drug cases are given priority," Zuno said.

Justice Secretary Simeon Datumanong has issued a circular ordering the
automatic review of all high-profile drug cases which were dismissed by
government prosecutors.

Based on Circular 46 dated June 26, the automatic review shall be "summary
in nature" and should be completed within 30 days.

The issuance of the circular came on the heels of the government's dogged
campaign to address the drug menace in the country.

Statistics showed that since 1999, the justice department has already
received a total of 33 high-profile drug cases. Of these cases, 25 have
already been filed in courts and only eight cases are still pending in the
justice department.

These cases include possession or trafficking of shabu amounting to 762
grams to 503 kilograms; 41.91 kilograms of marijuana and 692.16 grams of
cocaine.

The justice department has also announced the creation of the Task Force on
Antinarcotics and Dangerous Drugs that would handle preliminary
investigation, reinvestigation or inquest of all cases involving illegal
drugs referred by law enforcement agencies to the department.

Zuno has been assigned by Datumanong to lead the task force.