Pubdate: Sat, 25 Dec 2004
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer (Philippines)
Copyright: 2004 Philippine Daily Inquirer
Contact:  http://www.inquirer.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1073
Author: Maila Ager
Cited: Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency http://www.pdea.gov.ph
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.)

CLEAN UP PDEA, SOLONS TELL CHIEF

CLEAN up the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), three congressmen 
told its chief Anselmo Avenido Jr. on Friday.

Surigao del Sur Representative Prospero Pichay Jr., Cavite Rep. Gilbert 
Remulla, and House Majority Floor Leader Prospero Nograles of Davao City 
made the call, following a series of jail breaks, the latest of which was 
the escape of Chinese Li Zhong alias James Mian.

Avenido should "clean up the agency of scalawags colluding either with 
big-time drug lords or harassing innocents by unjustly detaining them and 
extorting for their release," said Pichay in a statement.

"These incidents by the scalawags in PDEA show the lack of control and 
discipline down the line. The PDEA chief must take urgent measures to 
prevent abuses by his own people," he said.

In separate statements, Remulla and Nograles said there was an urgent need 
to completely weed out rogue and negligent law enforcement and penal 
facility personnel as "these series of jail breaks could seriously cause 
(demoralization) on those who are putting their lives on the line to go 
after criminal elements."

Like Pichay, Remulla said he also believed that Li Zhong's escape was made 
possible through the alleged connivance of his custodians.

He urged the agency to arrest its personnel responsible for handling the 
agency's detention facility.

"Suspending or relieving them from their assignment is not enough. They 
should be treated like the criminal whom they allowed to escape," Remulla said.

Nograles agreed that the series of high-profile jail breaks have reached a 
very alarming stage and have raised serious doubts on the government's 
capability to get criminals off the streets.

"This is very embarrassing. It's completely useless even if we arrest top 
criminals on a daily basis only to escape later on while in the custody of 
the government. This should stop now," Nograles stressed.
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