AMID public outrage over the dismissal of drug cases against big-time drug kingpins, Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte on Sunday assured the public the city government has “unassailable protocols” in place in building airtight cases against arrested drug personalities.
Speaking as chair of the Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council, Belmonte 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, so we could avoid ‘gray areas’ in the interpretation of the rules. So that we are on the same page on how we go about doing things,” she said.
Belmonte was reacting to the dismissal of drug charges against suspected drug kingpin Peter Lim, confessed drug dealer Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr. and convicted narcotics boss Peter Co.
The vice mayor said the set of protocols they have crafted was a product of collaborative efforts of QCADAAC, barangay anti-drug abuse councils, Quezon City Police District, Dangerous Drugs Board and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
“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 said.
“And I have trained them already. I have told the barangay councils about the new guidelines,” she added.
As chairperson of the QCADAAC, Belmonte earlier installed drop boxes in 142 barangays, several churches and police stations to combat crimes.
She assured that all names reported in the drop boxes are stringently checked, validated, and kept confidential in keeping with the city government’s vow to protect human rights.