DUMAGUETE CITY — The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 30 in Negros Oriental, a special drug court, has reported that for the whole of 2017, it has promulgated 100 drug-related cases, 47 for the first semester and 53 for the second half.
Out of the 100 cases, three were acquitted and one case was dismissed, or a conviction rate of 96 percent.
Records will show that of the convictions, 48 accused were meted life terms, and the rest were convicted to suffer a penalty of 12 years and one day to a maximum of 14 years imprisonment.
Judge Rafael Crescencio Tan, Jr. said the court expects a deluge of cases next year, as soon as the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement units resume the anti-drugs campaign in January.
Tan said he will come up with a training module for police operatives on how to prepare affidavits, how to document the flow of cases from the suspect’s arrest up to the submission of the complaint before the prosecutor’s office.
This is aimed at making sure a “good catch” will not be dismissed because of technicality. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)
