Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar on Wednesday said he has issued a directive to conduct accounting of cases that have been dismissed due to technical issues.
In a statement, Eleazar said he has ordered the PNP’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) to make an accounting of the cases that have been dismissed due to technicality on issuance of arrest or search warrants.
He said this action will help the police force improve their anti-criminality operations and may also result in having 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 in the future,” he 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. Hindi natin hahayaan na mauuwi lang sa wala ang lahat ng resources, sakripisyo at ang pagtataya ng buhay ng ating kapulisan dahil sa isyu ng 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.
The PNP said 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.
Eleazar said the PNP fully respects the wisdom and independence of the court on the case.
They are waiting for the official copy of the court’s decision so that they can study and abide by what is stated on 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,” Eleazar said.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra earlier said the national government’s inter-agency committee on extra-judicial killings 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. Explosives and several firearms were also recovered from the suspects.
Eleazar said the PNP is ready to face the outcome of the probe.
“Hinihintay din namin ang resulta ng isinagawang imbestigasyon ng Department of Justice tungkol sa operasyong isinagawa noong March 7 upang matukoy kung may mga dapat bang itama sa aming mga operasyon,” he said.
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