PNP, NBI ink agreement to probe into criminal, admin liabilities in 'drug war' deaths
MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police inked an agreement for cooperation in simultaneous administrative and criminal investigations in "war on drugs" operations that resulted in deaths.
The Department of Justice said that the two agencies signed the Memorandum of Agreement on Wednesday. The MOA “aims to institutionalize the complementary efforts of both law enforcement agencies in the ongoing War on Drugs,” it added in a statement.
Police General Guillermo Eleazar, PNP chief, and NBI Officer-in-Charge Eric Distor signed the agreement, in the presence of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.
Under the MOA, the two agencies agreed on the following commitments:
- Guaranty of the integrity and availability of all information, records, and evidence necessary for the conduct of investigation, case build-up, and when warranted, the filing of criminal complaints against erring law enforcement officers
- The preparation of full and detailed reports of all relevant findings and recommendations for submission to each counterpart head of agency
- The designation of points of contact and representatives for ease of coordination
- The regular monthly consultation through said designation representatives regarding the implementation of their MOA
“The MOA will provide the legal framework to both the NBI and the PNP for the speedy and thorough resolution of these and future cases, and affirms the Philippine Government’s commitment to conquer impunity and prevent excesses in law enforcement operations,” the DOJ added.
READ: DOJ told: Matrix on 'drug war' review 'barely scratched surface'
DOJ review
Latest government figures acknowledge the deaths of 6,191 people in anti-narcotics operations. The government has maintained that those who were killed had resisted arrest but the DOJ-led review has raised questions on the "nanlaban" narrative used by the police.
So far, the DOJ review of “war on drugs” operations that resulted in deaths, which started in June 2020, has examined some 350 cases.
The first review covered 300 incidents in a few provinces with the highest incidence of police operations resulting in deaths, particularly in Bulacan and Pampanga. The second part of the review looked into 52 files from the PNP’s Internal Affairs Services, where it found direct liability on cops involved in the deadly “war on drugs” operations.
The MOA was discussed following the second part of the DOJ review.
The cases covered incidents that dated as far back as 2016. Records of these have since been forwarded to the NBI for case build-up and cross-checking those that are pending criminal investigation.
The matrix from the DOJ also showed that most police officers involved were only suspended for lapses, with cops in one case only getting a reprimand. It also revealed that in at least seven cases, suspects who supposedly shot at cops tested negative in gunpowder paraffin tests. In some cases, records were also incomplete.
Guevarra in October said the DOJ is coordinating with the PNP for the review of thousands of other PNP cases.
The International Criminal Court has launched an investigation into allegations of crimes against humanity against President Rodrigo Duterte and his officials over his bloody “war on drugs.”
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