The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the Philippine Judicial Academy under the Department of Justice conducted a three day virtual Seminar Workshop on the Dangerous Drugs Law for Judges, Prosecutors and Law Enforcers which ends on December 6.
The program aims to update participants on drug classifications, inform them of developments under Republic Act 9165 (the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002), pertinent laws and DDB board regulations and identify and address problems and issues commonly encountered during the processing, handling and prosecution of drug-related cases.
The topics in the seminar-workshop include the current national and regional drug situation and the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy, classification of dangerous drugs and their pharmacological side effects, voluntary and compulsory confinement for treatment and rehabilitation of drug dependents, and identification of drug dependents, among others.
Experts from various agencies like the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) spoke during the event.
Justice Adolfo S. Azcuna, Chancellor of the Philippine Judicial Academy welcomed participants to the virtual training.
DDB Chairman Catalino S. Cuy said that “even though the number of drug users has decreased over the years, we shouldn’t be complacent and we should continue to intensify anti-drug campaigns and initiatives.”
He added that he hopes that the seminar will help improve the resolution of cases by avoiding dismissal due to non-compliance to the chain of custody, addressing issues pertaining to case management, and expediting plea-bargaining cases.
The participants of the program include representatives from the Department of Justice (DOJ), OSG, Public Attorney’s Office, PDEA, NBI, Bureau of Customs (BOC), the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM), and the Parole and Probation Administration.