MEMBERS of the media covering police operations like raids and buy-busts were put at risk as they are also required to be witnesses in the case, as mandated by the law.
A provision of the Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, has certain requirements for the inventory and documentation of the operation.
Section 21 of the law stated that “the apprehending team having initial custody and control of the dangerous drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals, instruments/paraphernalia and/or laboratory equipment shall, immediately after seizure and confiscation, conduct a physical inventory of the seized items and photograph the same in the presence of the accused or the person/s from whom such items were confiscated and/or seized, or his/her representative or counsel, with an elected public official and a representative of the National Prosecution Service or the media who shall be required to sign the copies of the inventory and be given a copy thereof: Provided, That the physical inventory and photograph shall be conducted at the place where the search warrant is served; or at the nearest police station or at the nearest office of the apprehending officer/team, whichever is practicable, in case of warrantless seizures: Provided, finally, That noncompliance of these requirements under justifiable grounds, as long as the integrity and the evidentiary value of the seized items are properly preserved by the apprehending officer/team, shall not render void and invalid such seizures and custody over said items.”
But putting journalists as witnesses in anti-drug operations would only place them at risk. They should only be at the operation for coverage and news report, nothing more.
With this, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) is calling the government not to require the media as a witness on its anti-drug operations.
The presence of media members in raids and apprehensions against illegal drugs should be limited to "coverage for journalism purposes," the group stressed through a resolution that was approved on Saturday, June 9, during the 10th National Congress in Diliman, Quezon City.
"Even if a witness from media in the inventory and documentation of confiscated drugs and paraphernalia in raids and apprehensions is not mandatory, they are still tapped as a witness in anti-drug operations," the resolution stressed.
"These provisions put journalists in greater risk as they become a party to operations against illegal drugs and in the prosecution of criminal complaints," the resolution emphasized.
A copy of the resolution will be submitted to the appropriate committee in the Congress, as well as the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.