‘Anomalies’ in justice system scored

An anti-crime watchdog warned yesterday that anomalies in the criminal justice system, if left unchecked, threaten to ruin the government’s drive against illegal drugs.

"Drug enforcement is being undermined in a big way by pervasive corruption and recurrent irregularities in law enforcement agencies and even in the courts," Citizens’ DrugWatch Foundation chairman Ernesto Herrera said in a statement.

Herrera, a former chairman of the Senate special committee on illegal drugs, enumerated recent drug scandals that, he said, eroded the morale of policemen and dampened efforts to put drug traffickers behind bars.

He said that last month, the Supreme Court reprimanded a Quezon City judge for quashing a case against seven Chinese nationals arrested during a raid on a clandestine shabu laboratory, allowing them to go free.

The judge had invalidated a search warrant used by the police in raiding a residence in Varsity Hills, Quezon City and in arresting Chinese nationals Jimmy Chua, Man Chuk Li, Willy Ang, Tom Chua, Lai Nar, San Li Chu and Sally Ong.

The high tribunal also reprimanded the judge for denying the prosecutor a chance to present evidence other than those obtained through the search warrant.

Herrera also cited the security lapses that facilitated the escape of Chinese national Tony Lao, 35, from the Makati City Jail last December. Lao, also known as Ding Cai Hui, was charged with selling five kilos of shabu worth P10 million to undercover agents in a sting operation.

Another case cited by Herrera is that of a Muntinlupa City judge who allowed Chinese national Michael Chang to post bail when he was charged with a non-bailable drug offense. Chang, who was caught smuggling 1.75 kilos of shabu worth P3.5 million, had posted P1-million bail and fled the country by the time the judge finally convicted and sentenced him to die by lethal injection.

Herrera also pointed out that the Philippine National Police (PNP) has its share of anomalies — a total of 249 PNP personnel were arrested last year for drug-related crimes while 104 other policemen in three regions tested positive for drug use.

"The police are practically fighting the drug scourge with one hand tied behind their back. Drug fiends have infested and corrupted the force," he said.

Herrera noted that the 249 police officers apprehended for drug offenses included 28 who were caught by their fellow officers or other law enforcement agents in buy-bust operations.

The highest-ranking officer nabbed for a drug felony last year was Senior Inspector Dante Gacatan of the Baguio City police. He was nabbed in an entrapment operation in Tarlac City last February.

The second highest-ranking officer arrested was Inspector Guilberto Mansueto, who was assigned to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. He was caught carrying two kilos of shabu worth P4 million at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in July.