Paris, France -- France's fight against cannabis, through tough laws to punish users, has long been a failure -- the French remain among Europe's biggest dope smokers. So will a change of strategy under President Emmanuel Macron have more success? The new centrist government is preparing to soften legislation, making users caught with cannabis liable for an instant fine of 150-200 euros ($180-250) instead of prosecution and the threat of a one-year jail term. The change was an election campaign pledge from Macron last year, justified on the grounds that it would reduce the time spent by the police and judiciary on criminal cases involving recreational smokers. [continues 604 words]
Guidelines have been issued by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) for the conduct of random drug testing for students to ensure human rights will not be violated with its implementation in the different schools nationwide. DDB Chairman Vicente Sotto III said the document expounds on the intents of the board regulation passed by the DDB way back in 2003 which state that the activity is a regular program and not just a reaction of the government as a result of the "Alabang Boys" controversy. [continues 242 words]
Reactivating retired Army Gen. Jovito Palparan's career and have him lead a drug enforcement agency merely create the impression that the Arroyo administration is not serious in its pledge to improve its human rights record. Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. yesterday echoed the concerns recently raised by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) over the possibility of rights violations of suspected drug users and pushers, citing the numerous charges against Palparan on alleged abuse of authority. Palparan's assumption to the top post of either the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) or the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), as indicated by the Palace, could only prove to be a liability to the administration as far as advancing its anti-illegal drug campaign is concerned. [continues 525 words]
A lawyer yesterday said he would go to court to stop the government from enforcing the mandatory drug testing for students in public schools in the country. Speaking to the Tribune, lawyer Adel Tamano who is the president of the Association of Local Colleges and Universities (ACLU), said he will file a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) for the tribunal to be afforded an opportunity to rule on the validity of this program. "I am convinced this affront to the civil rights of our students should not be allowed in a democratic country and hopeful our case will enrich the jurisprudence on the rights of individuals," Tamano said. [continues 582 words]
The United Opposition (UNO) yesterday denounced the government's proposed mandatory or random drug testing schemes for students as a serious affront to human rights which will give rise to more corruption in the government's campaign against illegal drugs. "This is not the serious pre-emptive war on drugs that was promised by President Arroyo, the self-proclaimed 'Anti-Drug Czar,'" said lawyer-educator Adel Tamano, spokesman for the UNO. "We fear that this mandatory or random drug testing schemes will become, just like in most cases under the Arroyo administration, another money-making venture for businessmen-cronies who will again exploit another unnecessary government mandate." [continues 314 words]
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Gen. Dionisio Santiago has this habit of coming with claimed exposes on the drug front, among which are the alleged P50 million bribe to get the case against the three drug pusher suspects baptized by the media as the "Alabang Boys" and the latest, that claim that narco-politics has penetrated up to the national level, so much so that the drug problem has become a national security threat. The big problem with Santiago's exposes, however, is the fact that while he continues to bare all these, he refuses to name names or even provide details. [continues 604 words]
Solons Nix State Fiscal's Bribery Denial, Charges The fresh allegations raised by Department of Justice (DoJ) Prosecutor John Resado that it was the legal counsel for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) who had attempted to bribe him elicited serious doubts from the members of the House committee on dangerous drugs during a hearing yesterday. The congressmen were also seen as using high pressure tactics on Resado to get him to waive his rights under the bank secrecy law, insinuating that he was afraid to waive his rights to have his bank account scrutinized by the House because he was hiding something and was guilty of having taken a bribe. [continues 1405 words]
State prosecutors whose morale is said to be low due to the forced leaves mandated by the new self-appointed anti-drug czarina, President Arroyo, may yet find solace with the impending departure of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency's Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino, who is at center of the PDEA drug buy-bust, along with the Department of Justice's (DoJ) prosecutors whom he had accused of having dismissed the case of the so-called "Alabang Boys," suspected drug dealers, on charges that they had been bribed with P50 million. [continues 1517 words]
The drug-bribery case involving so-called "Alabang Boys" yesterday took a new twist after a cousin of one of the "boys" testified that Richard Brodett had been using and peddling drugs since he was 16, contrary to what his parents wanted to portray him as good and innocent. "He (Richard Brodett) had been using drugs since he was 16. I don't want to be a hypocrite but he even taught me how to use drugs," his cousin Anthony Brodett told the House committee on dangerous drugs looking into the drug-bribery case involving the Alabang Boys and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). [continues 1117 words]
The controversy involving the "Alabang Boys" has turned for the worse, with the battle line being drawn between state lawyers on one side and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief ret. Gen. Dionisio Santiago and his operatives who were mostly extracted from the Philippine Marines. What had resulted in turn was that the heat in the bitter exchange of words between both camps now threatens to overcloud the issue of bribery following the arrests of the Alabang Boys that was the subject of the Congress inquiry into the case. [continues 653 words]
Flaws in the criminal system, including the inability of the government to attract "good prosecution lawyers," were among the reasons cited by the Palace yesterday for the failure of criminal cases like drug cases to prosper in court. Law enforcers running against drug traffickers have complained about drug cases being stopped cold right at the first base at the Department of Justice (DoJ) mostly as a result of technicalities cited by state prosecutors in dismissing most cases. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said that lack of evidence, technicality in procedures, and lack of probable cause are the major stumbling blocks in pursuing drug cases. [continues 1332 words]
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director Gen. Jesus Verzosa yesterday reported a "marked decrease" in the number of index crime cases particularly murder, homicide and physical injury this year compared to year 2007. In a press conference at Camp Crame, Quezon City, Verzosa said the incidence of index crimes for the past 11 months of 2008 decreased by 1.3 percent, with corresponding single-digit declines in the number of cases involving murder and physical injury. But the PNP saw a 14.11-percent dip in the number of homicide casesin 2008. [continues 568 words]
Students from 42 public and private schools in Makati City will stage a simultaneous anti-drug rally on Nov. 13 at 7 a.m. in their respective schools and barangays. Dubbed Sulong Kabataan Laban sa Droga, the anti-drug rally is one of the highlights of Makati 's observance of the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Week that ends on Nov. 17. The Makati students will march around their respective areas with streamers, placards and bands to heighten people's awareness, especially the youth, of the government's campaign against illegal drugs and substances. [continues 168 words]
The National Police Commission (Napolcom) yesterday ordered the dismissal from the service of four policemen who were found to have connived in planting evidence and extorting money from an alleged drug peddler. The Napolcom said it fired four members of the Pateros Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) for planting shabu (hydrochloride methamphetamine) and marked money for the purpose of extorting money from complainant Maria Annaliza Encinar. The decision was handed down by the commission's Regional Appellate Board (RAB) First Division which affirmed the decision of the People's Law Enforcement Board (PLEB) of Pateros dismissing SPO2 Arthur Velasco, PO1 Vinboy Pacamarra, PO1 Efren Patchicoy and PO1 Antonio Zinampan for serious irregularity in the performance of duty, dishonesty and violation of law. [continues 180 words]
Another drug syndicate allegedly distributing methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) in Manila's University Belt area was believed busted after elements of the Manila Police District (MPD) raided its warehouse in Quiapo early morning yesterday. MPD investigators said the warehouse, located right behind the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) campus in Quiapo, yielded 30 kilos of shabu with a street value of P7.5 million. "We are evaluating the effects of our operation now. We are going after the suspected mastermind but I cannot name that mastermind because we are now conducting follow-up operations," MPD Station 3 Commander Romulo Sapitula told dzBB radio. [continues 186 words]
Joint elements of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested a suspected drug dealer and seized some 15 bricks of "marijuana" during a buy-bust operation in Manila over the weekend. NBI officer-in-charge Nestor Mantaring identified the suspect as Elson Langpaw, 26, a farmer and a native of Wangwang, Tinoc, Ifugao. According to Mantaring, the NBI Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force under task force commander Ruel Lasala and the PDEA team arrested the suspect during an operation at the Florida bus terminal located at Earnshaw Street, Sampaloc, Manila, after a month-long case build-up. [continues 383 words]
An embarrassment, a big slap on the law enforcement capability and sincerity by a government claiming to be serious in curbing drug trafficking, an administration senator yesterday said as he fired at the executive on the latest international report citing the Philippines as having a booming illegal drugs industry with billions of dollars involved the past few years. Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., reacting to the 2006 international narcotics control report of the US State Department, chastised the apparent lapses of the government as manifested in the report, saying this should serve as a wake-up call as it not only caused the latest humiliation for the country but is also alarming. [continues 289 words]
Illegal drug trade in the Philippines has evolved into a billion-dollar industry over the past few years, according to a 2006 international narcotics control report of the US State Department. The report cited that the Philippines continues to experience an increase in foreign organized criminal activity from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. China and Taiwan-based traffickers remain the most influential foreign groups operating in the Philippines, it added. The US State Department report said most of the transactions involving illegal narcotics from other countries to the Philippines are done using letters of credit. [continues 549 words]
Elements of the Manila Police District (MPD) yesterday said drug vendors in the "shabu hot spots" in Manila's Tondo district earn up to P1,000 an hour. According to MPD anti-illegal drug unit chief Rodolfo Llorca, many of those vendors had already been arrested in earlier raids but returned to the illegal drug trade because of "easy money." "Ang iba rito ay nahuli na at bumalik dahil walang trabaho. Pinakamabilis ang kitaan dito, wala pang halos isang oras ay P500 hanggang P1,000 ang kita, depende sa galing (Some of those caught had been arrested before. But they went back because of easy money. Depending on their negotiating skills, one can earn P500 to P1,000 in less than an hour)," Llorca told Iglesia ni Cristo-run radio dzEC during an interview. [continues 86 words]
Insinuating that high officials of the local government of Pasig City were somehow involved in its unmitigated operations, Pasig Rep. Robert "Dodot" Jaworski Jr. yesterday challenged the Arroyo government to look deeper into and prosecute those found to have had a hand in the operations of a big drug den in the city that was recently busted by the authorities. Yesterday, during a media forum held weekly at a hotel in Quezon City, Jaworski said the continued and practically open operations for two years of the "shabu tiangge" (public market for the illegal drug) located less than a kilometer away from the Pasig City Hall and the headquarters of the Eastern Police District imply that the racket has been "untouchable" and enjoying protection from local officials. This, he said, shows how the city's officials have been "blatantly disregarding the law" and the government therefore should act to emphasize upon them the potency of the law. [continues 601 words]
