By Benjamin Pulta with reports from Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA
MANILA — The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday ordered state lawyers to provide police reports in connection with the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
“The Court ordered the Solicitor General to submit to the Supreme Court the police reports, copy furnishing the petitioners,” SC Public Information Office chief Brian Keith Hosaka told reporters in Baguio City.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, for his part, said they will await instructions as it goes down from the chain of command from Malacanang.
” I don’t know if the Court decided for the PNP. I did not see the decision yet. I think it’s between the OSG (Office of the Solicitor General) and the SC, not between the SC and PNP. We will get orders from the President since he is the Commander in Chief,” Albayalde said.
The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) last year asked the SC to dismiss the consolidated petitions seeking to halt the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign.
Two petitions seeking for a writ of amparo, questions the implementation of the Philippine National Police’s Command Memorandum Circular (PNP CMC) No. 16-2016, otherwise known as “Oplan Double Barrel”, and the implementing rules of the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s Memo Circular (DILG MC) No. 2017-112 on the revised guidelines for MASA MASID, have no basis.MASA MASID stands for Mamamayang Ayaw Sa Anomalya, Mamamayang Ayaw Sa Iligal na Droga.
The consolidated petitions were filed by the Center for International Law (CenterLaw), on behalf of the residents of 26 barangays in San Andres Bukid, Manila City and the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG).
The CenterLaw petition is seeking the issuance of a writ of amparo to shield the residents of 26 barangays in San Andres Bukid against the government’s anti-illegal drug war.
According to OSG, the reports are confidential and releasing them may unduly compromise ongoing police investigations and operations against drug personalities.
