Anti-drug council seeks fare stipend for cop witnesses

CEBU, Philippines -  The Cebu City Anti-Drug Abuse Council is requesting city legislators to allocate the necessary budget to grant allowances to any policemen who will appear as witness before the court on drug-related cases.

Lawyer Clarence Paul Oaminal, presiding officer of the Cebu City Anti-Drug Abuse Council, explained that only those policemen assigned in the city shall be afforded with such benefit at P300 for every court appearance as witness in a drug-related case.

Oaminal made the suggestion during the meeting of the members of the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council, which unanimously approved the proposal.

Oaminal told The Freeman that once the matter would be passed by the City Council, the police officer, after securing his certificate of court appearance, shall submit it to the Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (COSAP) so they could claim the P300.

At present, policemen who submit themselves to court duties spend their own money in going to the court or offices of prosecutors because there are no government funds intended for their transportation allowance.

Oaminal explained that the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office is located at the Palace of Justice in Capitol Site where the police files its case for inquest and preliminary investigation.

But the Regional Trial Courts, which have exclusive jurisdiction in hearing over drugs cases, is done at the Quimonda Building at the North Reclamation Area.

As an example, he said that a police officer assigned at the Mambaling Police Station who needs to testify on an anti-drug operation case has to travel from Mambaling to the reclamation area.

"No budget has been allocated to defray these expenses. He has to wait at the court for his case to be called, and often eats at the vicinity of the new location of the court," Oaminal said.

According to Oaminal, it is unfair for the police witness to spend his own money for attending and testifying in courts.

"Our elected officials may not mind this because majority of them are issued with government vehicles, with fuel allowances. This also applies to national government officials and employees, their travel are spent by their offices," Oaminal said.

Oaminal, a former undersecretary of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), said that providing police with court allowance will show that the city government is supporting them in the fight against the drug menace.

"If we are to win the war against illegal drugs, let us look after the welfare of our warriors. Our city will not hurt financially if we provide our policemen with allowance," he added.

Oaminal observed that a number of policemen have been dismissed from the service for failure to attend court hearings, and while other may have some malicious reasons, others anchored the problem to the lack of money for their fares going to and from the court.

"If we could afford allowing our city officials going abroad why we cannot spare a dime for our police officers to ensure the conviction of those they have arrested?" Oaminal said. (FREEMAN)