Dangerous drugs law set for review in today’s Manila Hotel summit

Representatives of the executive, judiciary, and legislative branches of government will meet today (October 3) at the Manila Hotel “to review and adopt effective policies and procedures toward critical adjustments and reforms in the handling of drugs cases.”

Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin will keynote the meeting, dubbed the National Summit on Dangerous Drugs Law.

Earlier, Bersamin had said the issue on illegal drugs “has been a perennial problem

not only in our country but with other nations as well, and is indeed a global concern.”

He said that “since the enactment of Republic Act No. 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, drug users and drug traffickers have been very creative in ways to evade authorities.”

The Supreme Court’s (SC) public information office (PIO) said the Manila Hotel summit is the culmination of the pre-summit workshop conducted by the Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA) in Tagaytay last month.

The pre-summit conference, spearheaded by the SC and PhilJA, tackled various issues on the policies and law enforcement capability in addressing the problem of illegal drugs.

In his speech during the pre-summit conference, Chief Justice Bersamin underscored that “the biggest challenge for us is how to remain relevant and responsive considering the creative ways drug traffickers evade the authorities.”

He said the National Summit on Dangerous Drugs Law is aimed at “addressing the issues from various agencies and stakeholders relative to the implementation of Republic Act No. 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.”

He also said the summit will endeavor “to make recommendations and/or solutions addressing said issues, as well as to validate and approve unified guidelines for implementation of stakeholders during the summit.”

On Thursday’s summit, SC retired Associate Justice Adolfo S. Azcuna, PhilJA chancellor, will deliver the welcome remarks followed by a message from Chairman Catalino S. Cuy of the Dangerous Drugs Board.

Aside from Chief Justice Bersamin, Department of Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra will deliver his speech followed by the presentation of the recommendations to be done by Court of Appeals Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez.

Rep. Vicente S.E. Veloso III, chairman of the House Committee on Justice; Rep. Robert Ace S. Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs; Local Government Undersecretary Ricojudge Janvier M. Echiverri; Police Gen. Emmanuel Luis Licup of the Philippine National Police; and Director General for Operations Gregorio R. Pimentel of the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency will also deliver their messages

SC Associate Justice Diosdado M. Peralta, head of the SC committee on the revision of rules and chairman of the SC’s third division, will deliver his reflections on the issues tackled by the summit.

Retired SC Justice Romeo J. Callejo Sr. will deliver the closing remarks.