The House Justice Committee has released its report on House Resolution No. 105, an investigation into drug proliferation in the New Bilibid Prison in aid of legislation.
While I find the Committee Report comprehensive, what is lacking is a recommendation for the filing of the appropriate charges against those who were alleged to have violated the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, and committed acts of bribery and corruption. During the previous administration, investigations in aid of legislation routinely resulted in the recommendation of filing of proper charges contained in their respective Committee Reports. Case in point, the Blue Ribbon recommendation to file charges against those involved in the pork barrel scam. Now, even before the report has been issued, the current chairperson has made a statement that no recommendations will be made because it is not a legislative function. Why the inconsistency?
The investigation focused on a multi-billion industry with powerful and well-connected people benefitting from this unspeakable arrangement. The drug trade on a commercial level infiltrated our national penitentiaries and transformed our prisons as convenient venues for the illegal activities to proliferate. This happened with the knowledge and complicity of government officials, as testified by the drug personalities and other witnesses last week.
To effectively fulfill our duty as legislators, we in the Minority will be filing amendatory legislation to impose stricter standards in our correctional facilities. We welcome the input of psychologists and other experienced medical professionals to assist us in making laws that rehabilitate prisoners, and give them tools to be integrated in society.
There should be no hesitation in our actions to rid our country of the drug menace. Our country has taken a huge step in fighting this pandemic which has plagued us most especially during the last six years. Let us not waste it by using meek words in this time of action.
We weigh the importance of fulfilling our mandate as public servants against the insistence on the separation of powers. Faced with the information revealed, are we, as public officials, to just allow nature take its course without even voicing what we feel is the right thing to do? What we propose is a mere recommendation. It is the Executive’s discretion whether to accept or reject this.
Four televised hearing days, 22 witnesses, 10 resource persons, an uncontroverted Discovery Channel documentary to start all of the testimonies corroborating what was to be narrated later, all point to one sordid truth: powerful people during the past administration not only dropped the ball in protecting us, they also contributed to the drug problem’s massive growth.