‘Watch cases involving drug lords’

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay has asked the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of Justice to create a monitoring committee for all the cases involving big-time drug dealers.

Binay said that he has written DILG Secretary Joey Lina and Justice Secretary Hernando Perez for their consideration of the proposal to ensure that people in the illegal drug trade are prosecuted.

In his letter, Binay explained that the Oversight/Monitoring Committee would be composed of representatives from the DOJ, DILG and the local government unit involved to serve as observers in the cases filed immediately after the arrests are made.

He pointed out that the committee would "help ensure the integrity of the process hopefully right up to conviction."

The mayor expressed his concern about the lack of convictions of alleged drug traffickers most of whom are Chinese nationals widely reported in the media.

In particular, the concern is that the cases are not being acted upon or are dismissed because of legal technicalities.

In July last year the Makati City police was able to apprehend a Chinese national suspected of drug trafficking.

The suspect was caught with two kilograms of shabu and several grams of marijuana and was charged in the Makati Regional Trial Court.

Binay personally oversaw the operation and openly pushed for the conviction of the suspect.

However, the case was dismissed allegedly because of lack of merit and insufficient evidence.

"We always hear about the arrests but never about the convictions. We never know what happens with the cases," Binay said while stressing that there is a possibility bribes are being used by the defense to get their clients off.

Makati City has been very active in the fight against the illegal drug trade as seen in the accomplishment report of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) of the Makati City police which apprehended a total of 600 individuals found violating Republic Act 6425 or the Dangerous Drugs Act.