CEBU, Philippines - Former Dangerous Drugs Board chairman Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, who is now seeking a comeback at the Senate, suggested the creation of a special court that will hear drug-related cases in order to speed up trials and decongest overloaded regional courts throughout the country.
In a press conference here yesterday, Sotto expressed worries that in the next six to eight months, if 80 percent of drug-related cases in courts will continue to be dismissed, the next president of this republic will have to face a tough problem on illegal drugs.
“Mukhang ganoon ang mangyayari sa nakikita ko. Look at the records now, if you check the records, 70 to 80 percent dismissed. Anong rason? Kung anu-ano,” Sotto said lamenting that while DDB during his term was working hard to fight against illegal drugs, the efforts sometimes go to waste especially when perpetrators are able to get away through the dismissal of their cases.
“Kasi di pwedeng puro enforcement and rehabilitation lang. ‘Pag walang adjudication of case, ‘pag wala kang prosecution, useless. The whole fight against illegal drugs is useless,” Sotto said.
Sotto also said that during his recent visit to Cebu he monitored the case of the Umapad mega shabu laboratory in Mandaue City raided in 2004 but turned out very disappointed.
“Because the case has been dragging for almost six years already and it’s still in the RTC. We are not successful in the prosecution. Our conviction rate is only 20 percent. Ang mabigat pa doon, yung 20 percent, small players pa,” an obviously upset Sotto said.
In relation to his recommendation, he further said that “recently I’ve had a talk with Chief Justice Reynato Puno and DDB Undersecretary Clarence Paul Oaminal and initially, we had an agreement to institutionalize a special drug force. That is one of the reasons that I resigned from the DDB, to be able to run for the Senate and file that particular bill institutionalizing a special drug force,” Sotto said.
He said that the creation of the special drug force will solve the problem of cases dragging in the RTCs. Creating a special court will declog the RTCs and will prevent big-time drug lords from operating, despite being caught.
The special court, he said, is not just an ordinary court. It will be jury system-type where there will be three assigned justices. It shall be established nationwide in all key cities and provinces.
The decision at these special courts can be appealed only at the Supreme Court.
DDB records show that of the 100,623 drug cases in the country last year, 78,429 or 78 percent are either unresolved or still pending in the RTCs nationwide.
“There are so many factors why there are many unresolved cases. The biggest factor for one is they drag the case. The technique of the lawyers of drug lords is they drag the case because if they drag the case, time or another you lose the witnesses. Look at how many cases are dismissed. Most of the cases that are dismissed, walang witness, wala nang nagte-testify,” Sotto said. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)