Validating those involved in Illegal Drugs

April 15, 2019 Editorial Opinion Sideglance

A recent editorial from a national tabloid posted that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) should welcome offers from the Supreme Court (SC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist in the probe and validation of the narco-list containing a number of their members allegedly involved in the illegal drugs trade.

We have to disagree on this view and suggestion by the SC and the DOJ. While they may have some form and method of investigative prowess and while their offer may be sincere the process of validation clearly belongs to the PDEA which has the primary task and function of gathering intelligence data, identifying and investigating persons reported or alleged to be involved in the illegal drug trade either as distributors or protectors, and validating the information gathered on those persons to confirm the likelihood of their involvement.

As a consequence of such validation the necessary criminal information is then filed in court either before or after they are apprehended for violating Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

While such function is not within the exclusive domain of the PDEA since the Philippine National Police (PNP) likewise conducts its own investigation and apprehension of those involved in the illegal drug trade, the primary role of combating illegal drugs rests on the shoulders of the PDEA.

Now while the PDEA has already declined the offer of the SC and the DOJ to help out in the investigation and validation of their respective members’ alleged involvement in illegal drugs, it would however, contribute to the overall effort on the war on drugs if both the SC and the DOJ can extend their unilateral assistance in some other way.

How can this be done, one might ask. The answer is pretty straightforward. On their own, both the SC and DOJ can right away order a review of the previous actions of their judges and prosecutors respectively in the handling of drug cases investigated, prosecuted and tried by them.

In such a unilateral action they will not even need to consult the list being validated by the PDEA because they already have the necessary information as to what prosecutor or judge has handled drug cases in the past.

This is not a witch hunt, this is simply housecleaning. Obviously, there is no easy way to go about it but if the SC and the DOJ are really sincere in helping out the government ferret out those prosecutors and judges protecting or who are in cahoots with drug syndicates then a massive clean-up drive within their ranks may be the antidote to the festering problem of illegal drugs which has permeated almost all levels of our society.

Let the PDEA do its own validation of those prosecutors and judges allegedly involved in illegal drugs while the SC and the DOJ can immediately begin their own internal cleansing to rid themselves of those attempting to destroy their honored institutions.