BY ASHZEL HACHERO and VICTOR REYES
JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday called for a re-training of law enforcers in remedial and substantive law and closer partnership between state prosecutors and the police to improve the conviction rate in criminal cases.
Remulla made the call in a joint press conference with Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and top police officials in Camp Crame where the issue of how to improve conviction rates in criminal cases was among those tackled.
Remulla said there is a pressing need to improve police’s 25 percent prosecution and conviction rate in criminal cases.
“In looking for ways at how we can improve the justice system… we looked at what has to be done… We have to start re-training our law enforcement units in both remedial and substantive laws. When I say remedial it means such things as surveillance, procedures in conducting arrests, processing of crime scene and evidence gathered. Every police station should have those skills from the very start,” Remulla said.
Abalos said that “it’s important that our police investigators are well-versed in criminal law.”
“This is a good symbolism, partnership between the DOJ and of course the DILG and the PNP. We will have to review how investigators are selected, is it volunteer system, do they undergo examination,” Abalos also said.
He said the PNP has 22,774 investigators nationwide and only 123 of them are law graduates.
“There will be training, re-assessment of what’s happening right now on the ground. There will be retraining and if they already have one, we will supplement it,” said Abalos.
He said they will determine who will qualify as investigators, adding that policeman should not become an investigator merely because he or she volunteered.
Abalos said they are also going to study the grant of incentives to police investigators.
“We would review how police investigators are chosen. There should be a reassessment of those who were chosen (as investigators). What is their qualification, what seminar did they attend? The DOJ could really come in and assist and help us,” he said.
CONVICTION RATE
Remulla said the police’s 25 percent conviction rate “includes plea bargaining cases. We really need to change this. We need to have an efficient justice system.”
At the same time, Remulla acknowledged there is also a need to clarify the quasi-judicial function of state prosecutors under Rule 112 of the Rules of Court considering that the DOJ is part of the Executive department.
State prosecutors are under the National Prosecution Service (NPS), currently headed by Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento.
“Quasi-judicial functions should not take precedence over our mandate,” he said, adding:
“We want the prosecutors working closely with the police… Our emphasis is on prosecution as an executive function. The real aim is to have a better conviction rate.”
In the war against drugs, Abalos said a total of 291,393 drug cases were filed by the PNP from 2016 to July 15 this year.
Of the cases filed, 62,000 or 21 percent led to convictions and 5,753 have been dismissed.
The rest are still pending cases.
Remulla said the figures stress the need for all the pillars — enforcement, prosecution, judiciary, corrections and the community — of the criminal justice system to work together more closely.
Abalos said they want to improve the skills of police investigators to ensure that the cases they would file would not end up getting dismissed by the courts.
“That’s why we are joining forces now, this is against (the criminals). We are here to really protect the public. We are warning you (criminals),” said Abalos.
“The PNP is here, the NBI is here, the prosecutors are here, all of us are here. To those who are planning to commit crimes, especially those involved in illegal drugs, you are forewarned,” he added.
Nevertheless, Abalos vowed that all police actions will be done in a “very legal way.”
DRUG PEDDLERS
Meanwhile, anti-narcotics operatives arrested five drug peddlers, including three minors, during a raid of a drug den in General Santos City on Wednesday.
Two of the minors are aged 16 while the third is 15 years of age.
Their adult cohorts were identified as Alnora Abapo 23, and John Mark Zamora Abapo, 22.
They were nabbed by PNP and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency operatives who swooped down at the drug den in Barangay Connel in General Santos City.
Seized from their possession were shabu, placed in placed in plastic sachets, and drug paraphernalia.
The three minors were turned over to the local social welfare department while the two adult suspects are incarcerated in a police facility.
PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr said the five are “high-value drug suspects.”
