WORKING TOGETHER. NBI officer in charge-director Eric Distor (left) and PNP chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar (right) show a copy of the signed memorandum of agreement between the two agencies to operationalize probes of incidents of police abuses in anti-drug operations on Wednesday (Nov. 3, 2021). Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra (center) witnessed the signing of the MOA. (Photo courtesy of DOJ)
MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday made public a copy of the memorandum of agreement signed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to operationalize probes of incidents of police abuses in anti-drug operations.
Under the MOA signed by PNP chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar and NBI officer in charge-director Eric Distor on Wednesday, the two law enforcement agencies committed to supporting the work of the other "in respect of evaluating the government's anti-illegal drug operations and undertaking investigation, case build-up, and the possible filing of criminal complaints against concerned police officers".
Likewise, the PNP and the NBI guaranteed the integrity and the immediate availability to the other party of all necessary information, including documents, records, and all relevant evidence.
"The Parties shall collect, provide, and/or transmit documents, records, and all relevant evidence in such manner as may be deemed convenient and appropriate to ensure confidentiality," the MOA said.
Both sides will also name their respective representatives who will commence the necessary works on the measure within a month.
The pact also said parties will adopt the general data privacy and data sharing principles under Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012.
"The Parties shall ensure the privacy and security of any and all confidential, privileged, personal, and/or sensitive information that the parties, their officers, employees, or agents may have access to, and shall store, use, dispose, and/or otherwise process the said confidential, privileged, personal and/or sensitive information, as may be applicable," the MOA added.
In a statement, Eleazar said this agreement will help in finding out the truth and correct the wrong impression that police operations in relation to the government's anti-illegal drug campaign are tainted with abuses.
"Napakalaki ng sakripisyo ng ating kapulisan sa kampanyang ito at marami din kaming kasamahan na nagbuwis ng buhay at nasugatan sa aming mga operasyon (The police force has made big sacrifices and many of our colleagues have died or became injured in operations),” he added.
Eleazar also emphasized that the aggressive campaign against illegal drugs did not only result in the confiscation of multi-billion pesos worth of illegal drugs, dismantling of all shabu laboratories in the country, and the neutralization of key players in illegal drugs smuggling and distribution across the country.
He said that the aggressive campaign also resulted in the unprecedented reduction of index crime by almost 70 percent in the last five years.
Distor, meanwhile, assured impartiality in the conduct of the investigation.
“The NBI shares the goal of the PNP to put an end to the illegal drugs problems in the country. We have been coordinating and working together to address this problem through joint operations and information sharing. We assure impartiality in the conduct of investigation and we are confident that this would finally address the concerns on the manner by which the government's illegal drug operations have been undertaken and to correct what needs to be corrected in the interest of truth and justice,” he added.
At least 52 cases involving 154 police officers will be prioritized by the PNP-NBI joint investigation team. These cases were already reviewed by the DOJ and were recommended for further investigation and case build-up.
The criminal cases that may be recommended by the joint investigation team are separate from the administrative cases that would be pursued by the PNP's Internal Affairs Service. (with Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
