Aglipay: Don’t parade uncharged suspects

Philippine National Police (PNP) Deputy Director General Edgar Aglipay warned all district directors and chiefs of police against the "parading" of suspected drug pushers without the prior filing of criminal cases against them.

Aglipay issued the statement amid criticisms that the PNP and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) have resorted to mass arrests and media presentation to be able to comply with President Arroyo’s order to make an impact in the renewed campaign against illegal drugs in the next three months.

"Only those with cases filed in court shall be considered as accomplishments. Without the cases filed in court, they (arrested suspects) should not be presented to the media," Aglipay said. "They should pursue all the cases in court."

Aglipay, who heads the PNP’s Special Task Force on Illegal Drugs, said the police should always ensure that the rights of an arrested suspect to due process and to have a lawyer are observed.

He added the PNP and the PDEA have drawn up a master list culled from the arrests of suspected drug pushers and users in every police station with corresponding charges filed in court.

Aglipay said this would ensure that there will be no "recycling" of suspects presented before the media.

In this way, Aglipay added, the PNP and the PDEA can also monitor each other’s efficiency in prosecuting drug offenders, meaning no cases are dismissed because of technicalities.

Aglipay said he met with chief prosecutor Jovencito Zuño last week to discuss the problems which local prosecutors and judges encounter on the cases filed by the PNP and PDEA on drug-related offenses.

Aglipay warned all police personnel involved in the anti-drugs campaign that they will be facing administrative and criminal charges once found guilty of planting evidence or failing to attend to court duties.

He added that police investigators found to have tampered with evidence and submitted false testimonies also face possible dismissal from the service.