The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have agreed to pore over 61 cases of law enforcers allegedly liable for violations during anti-illegal drug operations.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra the 61 cases where liability was established by the PNP IAS (Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service) came from the more than 6,000 cases reviewed by the IAS. “We thus presume that the rest were dismissed. If the PNP chief said the review panel may also review these other cases, we will be very happy to do so, as this is what we had wanted in the first place,” he added.
Guevarra told reporters that the decision of PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar to provide DOJ access to its IAS files is a very significant milestone in the government’s efforts to pursue accountability.
“While eradication of the scourge of illegal drugs in the country remains a top priority of the Duterte government, it is also its major concern to conduct this campaign in the proper way and preserve its legitimate character,” he said/
Guevarra and Eleazar recently met to explore active collaboration options in the review of illegal drug operations where deaths occurred and in the investigation of alleged extrajudicial killings and related cases.