THE Supreme Court has designated 240 trial courts nationwide to speed up the trial of cases involving illegal drugs amid the Duterte administration’s intensified anti-drug campaign.
Court spokesman Theodore Te said there were at present 128,368 pending drug-related cases being heard nationwide by 715 regional trial courts, 65 of which had been designated as special anti-drug courts.
Te said the designation of more courts to handle drug cases would entail the fielding of additional prosecutors from the Department of Justice as well as defense counsels from the Public Attorney’s Office.
Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno had suggested to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguire II to appoint more prosecutors and PAO lawyers for the additional courts to avoid delays in the resolution of drug cases, Te said.
“By its action today, the Court has effectively authorized all the 955 organized trial courts across the country to hear, try and decide drug cases,” Te said.
He noted that guidelines on the speedy resolution of drug-related cases would soon be released.
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte urged all sectors in the country to join him in the fight against the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country.
A source in Camp Aguinaldo said Tuesday that two lieutenant colonels and two majors were among the 13 personnel at Army headquarters who tested positive for drug use.
“One of the lieutenant colonels is assigned at the Army Hospital in Fort Bonifacio,” said the source, who asked not to be named because he lacked the authority to speak on the matter.
Just recently, Army chief Lt. Gen. Eduardo Ano administered a surprise drug test to about 3,000 personnel at Army headquarters, with 13 testing positive for illegal drug use.
Army spokesman Col. Benjamin Hao declined to comment, except to say that six of the 13 showed negative results in confirmatory tests.
Earlier, Hao said any Army personnel with confirmatory drug test results would be dismissed from the service immediately.
Unannounced drug tests are ongoing in different branches of government including the military and police since President Duterte assumed power on June 30.
Duterte’s drug war has already claimed more than 200 lives, most of them small-time street peddlers.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) under the leadership of Dir. Gen. Ronald dela Rosa has yet to catch or kill any “big fish” in the illegal drug trade.
Earlier, Duterte named five former and active police generals as top protectors of drug syndicates. They are now under investigation.
In Quezon City, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte said close to 60 percent of 172 barangay public safety officers in Quezon City tested positive for drug use.
At a news conference, Belmonte, head of the Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council, said 74.64 percent of the city’s 142 barangays from Districts 1 to 6 have already undergone drug testing as of June 22, and that 303 barangay personnel tested positive for drug use.
“This is very alarming considering that BPSOs are the force multiplier of the police in ensuring peace and order in our communities,” she said.
Based on the report of the Office of the Vice Mayor, those who tested positive included two barangay councilors, 172 barangay watchmen, 53 street sweepers, seven barangay health workers, 15 drivers, 15 utility aides, 10 brigades, 11 staff, and one from the task force on youth development, three from the violence against women and children’s desks, seven fire volunteers, and eight from the barangay justice system.
Belmonte said the city government will ask for a supplemental budget for the construction of more facilities for the drug rehabilitation of those who have surrendered to the Quezon City Police District.
On Monday night and Tuesday, seven more drug suspects were killed in a shootout with officers from the Manila Police District.
A gunfight at a suspect’s house in Sta. Ana, Manila killed Jomar Manaois and two others, police said.
In Sta. Cruz Monday night, an alleged drug suspect only identified as “Long Hair Patis” was killed after a shootout with the police.
In Port Area, Baseco, police also conducted a raid on a pot session in a house located on 11th Street. A drug suspect identified as Amir Amilul fired at the cops, who shot back, killing the suspect.
An alleged drug pusher-courier was shot dead in Quiapo, Manila after engaging the police in a shootout early Tuesday morning.
The police poseur-buyer was supposed to purchase 10 grams of shabu from the suspect, identified by the police as a certain Erwin. – With Florante S. Solmerin, Rio N. Araja and Sandy Araneta