The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Friday disputed the findings of Commission on Audit for its lack of transparency and security in custodial handling of drug evidence.
Director general Aaron Aquino said CoA’s report was “moot and academic,” saying it would be of no practical value since the laboratory service being referred to in the report was the one in the old annex building that was struck by fire in 2015.
During the fire, the evidence room where confiscated illegal drugs were stored was spared.
“The PDEA laboratory service, which prides itself as the country’s premier drug forensic center, is now housed in a new three-story building at the agency’s national headquarters in Quezon City where the laboratory and storage facilities for drug evidence are relocated. The building worth P25 million was inaugurated last June 1,” he said.
“The new evidence room has an upgraded security system, making it inaccessible to unauthorized personnel. Closed-circuit television cameras cover all angles leaving no blind areas in the premises, with fire extinguishers, with proper labels and instructions of use. Metal grills and double doors were also installed around the facility,” he added.
Earlier, CoA released a compliance audit report concerning PDEA’s safekeeping, monitoring, and disposition of seized/confiscated dangerous drugs in its custody from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2017.
The report questioned the safety and security controls of the agency’s forensic laboratory and the limited access access to documents that might compromise the evidentiary value.
Aquino also denied it rented motor bikes for intelligence operations, saying they only rented four-wheeled motor vehicles.
In an audit report, CaA said in 2017, PDEA paid P32.5 million to JET Trading for the rent of motorcycles mostly used for intelligence and surveillance operations.
“In the fight against illegal drugs, PDEA conducts extensive intelligence and surveillance operations with utmost secrecy in order not to compromise the identity of its agents. During these operations which lasted months or even years, PDEA rent motor vehicles so that drug syndicates will not be able to identify them as agency vehicles, compromise the operation, and put at risk the lives of operatives,” Aquino said.
The CoA said PDEA’s disbursement and expenses of the lease of motor vehicles for surveillance operations were charged against regular and trust funds.
“PDEA will definitely comply with the CoA requirements as the supporting documents required are in place and available. However, these documents must not be made public since there are still ongoing surveillance operations that might hamper or disrupt the same,” Aquino said.
On the issuance of firearms to PDEA agents not supported by property accountability reports as required by the Government Accounting Manual, Aquino said the agency through the Logistics Management Service was in the process of issuing property accountability report since May.
“PDEA will definitely comply with the CoA requirements as the supporting documents required are in place and available. However, these documents must not be made public since there are still ongoing surveillance operations that might hamper or disrupt the same,” he added.