PCAC: Prosecutors should be our allies against drugs

CEBU, Philippines – At least 39 cases of using or selling drugs in Cebu City have been filed in court for the period of July to December this year.

The Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) revealed the data after asking for the report from the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office on the statistics of drug related cases pursued in court as it asked the prosecutor’s office to commensurate the efforts of the police.

Cebu City Vice Mayor and PCAC Chairman Edgardo Labella said that there is a need to ask for the participation of the justice office in the fight against illegal drugs.

“The fight against illegal drugs is not just a fight of the police, it is not the fight only of the PCAC, but it is also a fight that should be undertaken by the other pillars of the justice system, the prosecution and the court,” he said.

“Because if we cannot prosecute them, and if we cannot have them convicted, we are a failure in this fight,” he added.

Labella said the statistics that Prosecutor Van Russel Inopiquez submitted to him last week shows that two cases of the 39 were not resolved but also not dismissed.

“The only reason why 37 were filed is because their lawyers filed pleadings, or review, or went up to the Supreme Court,” he said.

He said that PCAC is still asking for the figures of drug operation cases from the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

“Ang kaning 39 cases, puros ni siya caught in flagrante delicto or caught in the act,” he said.

“Next that I am asking from the prosecutor is to give us the statistics of the cases filed in court, number of these cases which were dismissed, and cases which ended up in the conviction,” he said.

He added that he will also be asking what caused the dismissals of the cases.

Labella also commended the Cebu City Police Office, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and other agencies for the strengthened campaign against illegal drugs.

He said that the PCAC will be on guard against illegal proliferation of illegal drugs in the city next year. — (FREEMAN)