Pubdate: Mon, 08 Jul 2013
Source: Manila Standard Today (Philippines)
Copyright: 2013 Manila Standard Today
Contact: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/iserver?page=contact_us
Website: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3450
Author: Rey E. Requejo

HIGH COURT GRANTS 'NARCS' POWER TO SEEK WARRANTS

The Supreme Court has included the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 
in the list of agencies authorized to file applications for search 
warrants involving violations of the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The high court allowed PDEA to seek search warrants from the regional 
trial courts in Manila and Quezon City, which have the exclusive 
power to issue search warrants to law enforcement agencies, on the 
recommendation of Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez.

Previously, only the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of 
Investigation and the Anti-Crime Task Force were authorized to seek 
permits for searches involving heinous crimes, illegal gambling, 
illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, violations of the 
Intellectual Property Code, the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001, 
the Tariffs and Customs Code, RA 9165 and other relevant laws.

The high court made its move even as Senator Vicente Sotto III said 
he would file a bill creating "Dangerous Drugs Courts" as a result of 
the drug cases clogging the dockets of the courts designated to hear 
cases involving illegal drugs.

"This bill is intended to create such courts," Sotto said.

"These special Collegiate Dangerous Drugs Courts shall have an 
exclusive and original jurisdiction to try [cases involving dangerous drugs].

Sotto said the number of cases involving illegal drugs had been 
rising steadily since the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 took effect.

"A number of these cases have remained pending for a long time," said 
Sotto, a former chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board.

The high court said the applications for search warrants should be 
"personally endorsed" by the head of the PDEA and contain the places 
to be searched and the items to be seized.

The regional trial courts' executive judge or vice executive judge 
would be tasked to issue the search warrants.

The high court said the search warrants could be served "in places 
outside the jurisdiction of the said courts."

The executive judge and authorized judges have also been tasked to 
keep a "special docket books" listing the names of the judge to which 
the warrant applications had been assigned, as well as the results of 
the searches and seizures.

With Macon Ramos-Araneta
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom