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Saturday, April 05, 2003
Anti-drug cops accused of 'planting' evidence
By Harley Palangchao and May Anne Cacdac
BAGUIO -- Mayor Rogelio Leon of Kapangan town in Benguet claimed Friday the 70 kilos of marijuana leaves and bricks that agents of the Philippine Anti-drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) supposedly confiscated at a raid in his town on March 29 were "planted" evidence.
Leon is now calling for a formal investigation into what really transpired during the reported anti-marijuana raid.
The mayor said he was instructed by Benguet Gov. Raul Molintas to advise the legal officer of Kapangan to prepare appropriate criminal and administrative charges against Supt. Edgardo Perez and agents of the PDEA-CAR based in Sagubo, Kapangan, Benguet.
Perez, in an interview, denied allegations that the recovered marijuana in Sagubo, Kapangan, were planted evidence. "The raid was a legitimate one and there is no truth to that allegation," Perez said.
But Leon insisted that the anti-drug raid was questionable and cited several lapses in the operation.
"The PDEA-CAR did not coordinate with the local government and the Kapangan Municipal Police Station. The operation seemed di makatotohanan (not real). In fact, I was only informed of the operation on Monday after our regular flag-raising ceremony," Leon said in a press conference Friday.
According to Leon, Kapangan is the only municipality in Benguet that admits to having marijuana plantations. "We have humbly accepted this fact and are more than willing to cooperate with the PDEA-CAR during their operations."
He said town officials also knew the places where these plantations might be.
"We have cited two sitios and they are Alem and Lidem. Sagubo is not included and this makes the operation even more dubious. Further, if you go to the place, you will see that there is no sign whatsoever of any ongoing drug activity," Leon stressed.
He said the PDEA clearly had another objective in mind when they conducted the operation without the knowledge of the local government and police force.
The PDEA-CAR reported on Monday that about 70 kilos of marijuana leaves and bricks were discovered inside an abandoned hut in Barangay Sagubo.
It added that two barangay officials, together with the PDEA operatives, went to the place where the illegal items were discovered.
In invoking his role as the chief executive of the town, Leon claimed there is a standing directive from President Arroyo that all local chief executives should be properly informed of any police raids within their areas of jurisdictions.
:My administration is willing to help the authorities to rid Kapangan of marijuana, but the problem is that we are not being informed or they do not properly coordinate with our police chief," Leon said.
Insp. Rizaldy Dalope, chief of the Kapangan Municipal Police Station, who accompanied the mayor, said the raid caught him unawares.
Dalope agreed that the recovered marijuana items were probably planted evidence.
Perez, however, explained they coordinated with the PDEA central office before conducting the raid. He added that the Comprehensive Anti-Drug Law does not say that PDEA agents were mandated to coordinate first with the local chief executive in areas where they will conduct raids.
Late last year, Leon commissioned a group from the University of the Philippines Baguio to study the state of marijuana farming in the municipality.
Leon reported that both the municipal and provincial governments have come out with alternative livelihood programs for former marijuana cultivators.
In the past, anti-narcotics officials reported that the Cordillera region is the number one source of marijuana in the country and is supplying almost 70 percent of the total marijuana being produced.
They said that the bulk of the marijuana supply is clandestinely shipped to other areas from the provinces of Ifugao, Benguet, Kalinga and Mt. Province. Sun.Star Baguio |
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