The Supreme Court (SC) was asked on Monday, March 15, to review its rules that allow some trial courts to issue search warrants outside of their jurisdictions.
In a plea, Kapatid -- a support group of families of political prisoners -- said the “remote search warrants” issued by courts “are being manipulated and weaponized by state agents to go after activists and even kill them.”
Last week, Kapatid also asked the SC to act on the request of the police in Calbayog City to the city’s regional trial court (RTC) for a list of lawyers who represent communist terror groups. The SC has not acted on the request.
On search warrant, Kapatid Spokesperson Fides Lim cited Section 12, Chapter 5 of a 2004 Supreme Court Administrative Circular, AM No. 03-8-02-SC, which allows Manila and Quezon City executive judges of the regional trial courts (RTCs) and in their absence, vice-executive judges, to issue search warrants outside their territorial jurisdiction on the basis of applications filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Anti-Crime Task Force (ACTF).
“We believe it is imperative that the High Court take prompt action on the standing requests of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and human rights lawyers to check the police practice of getting warrants from courts outside the jurisdiction of their targets as this has triggered massive rights violations, including the increase of political prisoners,” Lim said.
Kapatid also cited the “remote warrants” used by the police and the military in the simultaneous operations in South Luzon provinces that resulted in the deaths of nine activists and the arrest of six other persons.
“As police-military attacks escalate against activists and rights lawyers, Kapatid urges Supreme Court Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta to take action on remote search warrants that led to arrests of activists on trumped-up charges and outright killings in the Calabarzon region on March 7 and to suspend allowing Manila and Quezon City trial courts to issue search warrants anywhere in the country,” Lim said.