THE Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the appeal of Solicitor General Jose Calida to recall its resolution ordering him to submit all records and documents related to the Duterte administration’s war on illegal drugs.
Court spokesman Theodore Te said the justices resolved to dismiss Calida’s motion for reconsideration during the start of their yearly summer session in Baguio City.
“The Court denied the solicitor general’s motion for reconsideration of the Court’s order dated Dec. 5, 2017 and directed the respondents to comply with the said order by submitting the required reports within a period of 15 days from notice,’ Te said, in a media briefing.
In its resolution dated Dec. 5, 2017, the Court ordered the Office of the Solicitor General to submit within 60 days documents including the list of persons killed in legitimate police operations from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2017; list of deaths under investigation from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2017; list of Chinese and Filipino-Chinese drug lords who have been neutralized; list of drugs involved whether shabu, cocaine, marijuana, or opioids; comparative tables in index crimes, statistics of internal cleansing within the police force and drug watch lists in affected areas.
The tribunal also directed the OSG to submit the list of warrants and warrantless arrests in high-value target police operations and the list of cases under investigation under the PNP Internal Affairs Service.
The Court issued the order after it concluded the oral arguments on the petitions questioning the legal basis of the government’s anti-drug war.
In his motion for reconsideration, Calida cited the risk to national security.
“Their submission would not only compromise ongoing police anti-drug operations but likewise put at risk the lives of informants who provide such information,” Calida said in his appeal.
The case before the Court involves the petition filed by the Center for International Law (CenterLaw) seeking the issuance of a writ of amparo to protect the residents of 26 barangays in San Andres Bukid, Manila City against the government’s anti-illegal drug war.
On the other hand, the petition filed by the Free Legal Assistance Group asked the Court to declare as unconstitutional “Oplan Double Barrel,” which it said allows the police to “neutralize” suspected drug pushers instead of arresting and prosecuting them.
A spokesperson for CenterLaw welcomed the Court’s decision, calling it a “triumph of justice and the rule of law.”