Accounting of dismissed cases due to technicalities ordered

THE Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) was ordered to make an accounting of the cases that have been dismissed due to technicality on issuance of the arrest or search warrants.

According to PNP chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar, this action will help the police force to improve their anti-criminality operations and may also result in the crafting of measures that will prevent further dismissal of cases due to technicalities.

I have already directed our DIDM through its Case Monitoring Division (CMD) to account for all cases that were dismissed on the basis of technicality in the issuance of search and arrest warrants in order to come up with corrective measures to prevent similar situations (from happening) in the future,” PGen Eleazar said.

Every police operation requires use of resources and entails hard work, aside from the fact that the lives of our operatives are put at risk. We won’t allow all the resources, sacrifices, even at the risk of the lives of our police force go for naught just because of a legal technicality,” he added.

The directive came after the Tanauan City court voided the search warrant issued against one Erlindo Baez, whose home was among those raided by law enforcers during simultaneous operations in CALABARZON last March of this year.

The eight-page decision of the local court also declared as quashed the information against Baez and the cases filed against him as dismissed.

Baez was reportedly a coordinator of progressive group Bayan in Batangas. The local court ordered his release from police custody.

PGen Eleazar said the PNP fully respects the wisdom and independence of the court on the case. But he said they are waiting for the official copy of the court’s decision so that they can study and abide by it.

But right now, we are still waiting for the official copy of the order for us to carefully review and study the arguments raised by the Tanauan City judge, especially if there was a categorical statement in the order saying that our personnel had committed infraction in the performance of their duty,” PGen Eleazar said.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has said the national government’s inter-agency committee on extra-judicial killings (EJKs) already finished its investigation on the incident last March that claimed the lives of nine activists.

Six others were also arrested during the simultaneous police operations. Authorities said they were able to recover explosives and several firearms from the subjects of the warrants.

PGen Eleazar said the PNP is ready to face the outcome of the probe.

We are also awaiting the results of the investigation by the Department of Justice about the operation last March 7 so we can identify which areas in our operation should be corrected,” the Chief PNP said.

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