PNP to block repeat offenders from availing of plea bargain
The Philippine National Police is planning to block attempts by repeat offenders to avail of plea bargaining agreements after records revealed that more than 3,000 crime suspects, who were earlier freed after availing themselves of plea bargaining agreements, have been re-arrested for various criminal offenses.
PNP spokesman Police Col. Ysmael Yu said the 3,038 re-arrested suspects were among the 19,947 suspects who were allowed to skip jail time for them to live a reformed life.
“These people were re-arrested for involvement either for the same offenses or other criminal activities,” said Yu.
Yu said data from the PNP Crime Information Reporting and Analysis System revealed that 66 of the re-arrested suspects are again seeking to avail of plea bargaining agreements.
“The PNP is providing the prosecution and Judiciary services with records of these repeat offenders for reference in further actions,” said Yu.
Among those granted to avail of plea bargaining agreements were drug suspects.
Yu said a total of 329,171 drug suspects have been arrested by anti-drug operating teams of the PNP and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency from July 1, 2016, to Oct.15, 2020.
In the National Capital Region, CIRAS data indicated a total of 101,058 drug peddlers and users have been apprehended while in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), and Central Luzon had 73,458 and 41,755, respectively.
CIRAS also bared anti-illegal drug operations in Central Visayas rounded up 38,867 drug suspects, 11,331 in Northern Mindanao, and 10,040 in Western Visayas during the same period.