Agusan del Norte Second District Rep. Dale Corvera. (Photo grabbed from House of Representatives website)
BUTUAN CITY – Agusan del Norte Second District Rep. Dale Corvera is proposing the creation of a repository agency that will handle and keep all dangerous drug cases in the country.
Corvera said he has observed significant discrepancies in the data on dangerous drug cases being reported by the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
“The disparity in the data poses a major problem in the effective planning and implementation of drug operations in the country,” Corvera said in a statement Friday.
Formulated plans and programs anchored on erroneous data would be unresponsive to the efforts of the government in eradicating the illegal drug menace, he pointed out.
“This could be the reason for the continuous growth and spread of dangerous drugs across the country,” Corvera said.
Corvera pushed the proposal during a meeting Wednesday of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, where he is a member.
“Without reliable data, there could be increased risks in the conduct of drug raids, searches, and buy-bust operations, which would endanger the lives of our law enforcers,” he said.
The lawmaker said he will also be calling for the mandatory training of all law enforcers on the chain of custody of drug evidence before involvement in any anti-dangerous drug operations.
The House Committee on Dangerous Drugs has received alarming reports on the high number of dismissed drug cases in the country, he said.
“The Dangerous Drugs Board reported that based on their official records, about 85 percent of dangerous drugs cases filed before the regular courts are dismissed,” he added.
The National Bureau of Investigation, during the Wednesday meeting, also reported a dismal 0.89 percent rate in their prosecution of drug cases, he said.
“As a former local chief executive, I am aware that not all law enforcers conducting operations against illegal drugs are capably trained on the technical task of observing the chain of custody of obtained drug evidence,” Corvera said.
He also emphasized the importance of the use of body-worn cameras or alternative recording devices during anti-drug operations. (PNA)
