The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are expected to meet this week, most probably starting Wednesday, Sept. 29, to tackle the issues involving deaths in police operations against dangerous drugs.
Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said to be discussed are the results of the DOJ’s review on the records of 52 cases on deaths submitted by the PNP.
Guevarra said: “We’ll also discuss a review of drug death cases other than the 52 cases turned over by the PNP to the DOJ, as well as the investigation of similar cases that may arise in the future.”
The results of the DOJ’s review on the 52 cases had been submitted to President Duterte who tackled it briefly in his speech before the United Nations General Assembly.
The President directed both the DOJ and the PNP to review all cases involving deaths in illegal drugs operations.
The PNP’s Internal Affairs Service (IAS) has investigated more than 6,000 cases of police operations against illegal drugs since 2016.
Of those probed, the IAS found administrative liability on the part of certain policemen in 52 cases.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) had also submitted more than 100 cases to the DOJ for review.
As part of the country’s commitment before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), a DOJ-led panel has been reviewing since 2020 cases of deaths that occurred during the illegal drugs operations by law enforcement agencies.