‘Wiretapping needed vs crime, terrorism’

MANILA, Philippines — Stronger provisions for wiretapping are among the proposed amendments to the narcotics law, according to Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) chairman Catalino Cuy. 

Cuy said the DDB has submitted to Congress the proposed amendments to Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. 

“We submitted our proposed amendments to Congress to strengthen the existing law on wiretapping under RA 9165,” he said in Filipino in a phone interview on Friday. 

But Cuy admitted that the proposed amendments would have to wait until the next Congress. 

Cuy said the current law that allows wiretapping, with approval of the Court, is useless.

“It’s impractical. Nobody uses it,” he said. 

Earlier, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said wiretapping from foreign countries was used in the government’s narco list. 

Panelo retracted his statement and said this was just “an educated guess.” 

Sen. Panfilo Lacson weighed in on the issue and said the possession of wiretaps is illegal. 

Cuy said while wiretapping is not done, the government wants more teeth to the laws against drug syndicates. 

He added that information on the narco list was a result of the validation of intelligence agencies. 

The DDB chief maintained that a stronger wiretapping law would help the fight against illegal drugs, criminality and terrorism.