JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday confirmed that Reynaldo Diaz, a big-time drug lord reportedly operating in Bicol, has been in the Justice Department’s witness protection program (WPP) even before his arrest by police in Sorsogon last Sunday.
Aguirre disclosed that Diaz, alias James Tan, has already executed an affidavit where he identified high-ranking government officials and former police generals who supposedly benefited from his illegal drug operations.
“What happened was he asked permission from WPP to be reunited with his relatives in Bicol. But on his way there, he was arrested by police,” Aguirre said in a media briefing.
Aguirre said he has already discussed Diaz’s status as a witness with Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa.
“Reynaldo Diaz is the number two man of Jaguar who has been under our custody in the WPP after he executed an affidavit where he named the officials and police generals who received drug money from him every two weeks,” Aguirre said.
Dela Rosa earlier said that Diaz assumed the illegal drug operations in Bicol after his cousin, the top drug lord in the Visayas, Jeffrey Diaz alias Jaguar, was killed by police in June.
Meanwhile, the Public Attorney’s Office has asked the Supreme Court to declare as unconstitutional a provision in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 that bars plea-bargaining, saying this has led to congestion in jails and the loss of billions on the part of the government.
In the petition, PAO chief Persida Acosta said the provision violates the constitutional right to equal protection of the law, since those accused of other crimes, including murder and rape, are allowed to enter into plea bargains.
“At the very least, if plea bargaining is indeed not allowable in violations of [the Dangerous Drugs Act], the prohibition should apply only to those drug offenses involving capital punishment,” Acosta said.
Acosta noted that there are over 82,000 inmates small-time drug offenders are rotting in jail.