DAVAO CITY — After President Rodrigo R. Duterte removed the war on drugs campaign from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Police Regional Office (PRO 11) has vowed to extend their hand to Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
This was bared by PRO 11 spokesperson Chief Insp. Andrea G. Dela Cerna in a telephone interview, saying, “If they want us to be there and if they want us to help we will definitely help them.
“As what the PNP Chief (Director Gen. Ronald Dela Rosa) said, the PNP is very willing to help PDEA in terms of operation,” Dela Cerna said.
She said they will also continue to share intelligence information with PDEA for them to help their operation.
After the anti-illegal drugs operation was taken off the back of the police, Dela Cerna said all intelligence reports and pending cases have been turned over to PDEA.
According to her, with power given to PDEA by the president, she believed that the said agency can still do its mandate.
Dela Cerna, however, clarified that the power being removed from the PNP are the operations planning and the conduct of buy-bust operation.
She said that under Rule 113 of the Revised Penal Code which pertains to warrantless arrest that has three elements such as about to commit, act of committing and have just been committed a crime, they can still arrest a drug suspects.
“For example nagpa-patrol po ang ating isang pulis kasama po ang kanyan ka-buddy, ay naaktohan po niya na gumagamit ng pinagbabawal na gamot ang isang maari po siyang hulihiin (For example our police officers conducted a patrol and they caught in the act a person using an illegal drugs, the police can arrest them),” she said.
On the other hand, PDEA 11 admitted that they cannot implement the war on drugs campaign alone due to lack of manpower.
PDEA 11 legal counsel lawyer Ben Joseph Tesiorna said the agency will still need the help of the PNP especially on big operations. (Armando Fenequito Jr/PNA)
