Belmonte will ensure cases are air tight for prosecution of arrested drug suspects

The growing public outrage over the dismissal of drug cases against bigtime drug lords has led Quezon City Vice-Mayor Joy Belmonte to ensure that air-tight cases are being built for their prosecution.

She assured the public that the city government has unassailable protocols in place to eliminate incidents where big time illegal drug personalities are freed due to mere technicalities.

Belmonte, speaking as chair of the Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council (QCADAAC), said they have long ironed out their procedures in dealing with the arrests, evidence-gathering, and filing of cases in court against apprehended drug suspects.

“We have developed protocols to address this issue, para maiwasan ‘yung tinatawag nilang ‘gray areas’ sa interpretation ng mga patakaran. Para lahat (to avoid what they call gray areas in the interpretation of the protocol) we are on the same page on how do we go around doing things,” the vice mayor said an interview when asked to comment on the issue involving the dismissal of drug charges against suspected drug kingpin Peter Lim, confessed drug dealer Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr. and convicted narcotics boss Peter Co.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, in response to the public uproar, has since overturned the prosecutors’ December 20, 2017 resolution clearing the suspected drug lords of drug charges.

Belmonte pointed out the set of protocols they have crafted was a product of collaborative efforts of QCADAAC, barangay anti-drug abuse councils (BADACs), Quezon City Police District (QCPD), Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

“All problems concerning the arrests of (drug) suspects to the gathering of evidence and witnesses, up to the filing of appropriate cases in court, we have long smoothened it out,” she assured.

“And I have trained them already. Nasabi ko na sa kanila [BADACs] ang mga bagong patakaran na ito (I have told them (BADACs) about the set of protocols),” the daughter of former mayor, House Speaker, and now 4th District Rep. Sonny Belmonte, Jr. further said.

As to the dismissal of the cases against Espinosa and others, Belmonte said she would defer to the wisdom of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in dealing with the issue.

As chair of QCADAAC, Belmonte oversees the city government’s antidrug campaign in partnership with the local police, barangays, Church, and the private sector.

In cooperation of QCPD, Belmonte has also installed dropboxes in all of the city’s 142 barangays, several churches, and police stations as a means to combat crimes.

Originally a project of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), these dropboxes are designed to encourage people to report the names of personalities in their communities who are involved in drugs and other nefarious activities.

Belmonte had assured that all names reported in the dropboxes are stringently checked, validated, and kept confidential in keeping with the city government’s vow to protect human rights.