Members of the Makati City Police and Makati Anti-Drug Abuse Council went through a series of trainings last month to improve their capabilities in their anti-drug operations and handling evidence against drug suspects.
The Makati City Peace and Order Council, led by its chairman Mayor Abigail Binay, in coordination with other government agencies, spearheaded the training under its Capacity Building Program, which aims to raise the level of competence of the city’s law enforcers and force multipliers in the citywide campaign against illegal drugs.
At the barangay level, the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Makati office has started implementing the program by cluster.
Training for the first batch started Monday for officials and peacekeepers of Cluster III (northwest, District I) composed of barangays Carmona, Kasilawan, Olympia, Poblacion, Sta. Cruz, Tejeros and Valenzuela. The two-day training was held at the Session Hall of the Makati City Hall Building 1.
“Following the surrender of over 1,500 drug personalities in the city through Oplan Tokhang, we are now focusing our efforts on building the capability of the local police and other frontliners in the anti-drug campaign through proper and adequate training,” Binay said.
With more competent and capable enforcers, the mayor said lapses in operational procedure and filing of cases, including the mishandling of evidence, could be avoided. “This will help in promoting a faster and more efficient administration of justice,” she said.
Some 42 city policemen and 21 MADAC personnel made up the second batch of participants in the training held last February 14 to 17 at the El Cielito Hotel in Makati.
Lecturers included drug court prosecutors such as Senior Assistant Chief Prosecutor Ronald August Tan, Assistant Chief Prosecutors Lily Joy Labayo-Patria, Abner Ballo II and Alexius Tang, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Agent Jill Salamanca, and lawyer Ralph Karlo Baralona.
Topics included a review of the Bill of Rights, drug laws, and criminal procedure; analysis of cases; report writing; case preparation; actual court observation and interview; and workshop on buy-bust operations and regular filing of cases.
Earlier, 39 PNP-Makati and 20 MADAC personnel formed the first batch of trainees under the program held February 6 to 9, also at the El Cielito Hotel.
Among the lecturers were Senior Assistant Chief Prosecutor Wilhelmina Go-Santiago and Assistant Chief Prosecutors Rudy Ricamora, Jr., Lincoln Asencion and Bernard Rosario.
The capacity building program is under the 2017 Peace and Order Public Safety plan of the city.
The Department of Interior and Local Government-Makati led the activity in collaboration with the Office of the Mayor, PDEA, PNP-Makati, City Prosecutor’s Office, and the Public Attorney’s Office.