Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. (File photo)
TACLOBAN CITY – Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. has urged local government units (LGUs) to assign a representative to serve as a mandatory witness in raids against illegal drugs.
Abalos said several drug-related cases had been dismissed because witnesses were not present in the inventory of seized drugs or did not show up in court hearings.
“In Mandaluyong City, when my wife was the mayor, she assigned a lawyer that is solely tasked as witness and back police anti-narcotics operations to satisfy the requirement of the law,” he said in a press briefing at the office of the DILG 8 (Eastern Visayas) here late Friday.
Abalos met with the local government operations officers in the region to relay the recommendation to the mayors.
Currently, the most common witnesses in drug raids are police officers, village officials, and journalists.
Republic Act 10640 requires the presence of these witnesses primarily to establish the chain of custody and remove any suspicion of switching, planting, or contamination of evidence.
Abalos said he has been working with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and all LGUs in assigning a city or municipality representative who would accompany police anti-narcotics units during their operations. (PNA)
