Recto wants Google-like efficiency in warrants database after ‘Piston 6’ verification mess

MANILA, Philippines – The government should rush the establishment of “its own Google-search-like app” that will be a repository for outstanding arrests warrants, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said Wednesday.

Recto made the call after the release of two of the six jeepney drivers arrested in Caloocan was delayed due to the need to confirm if they are the same persons with pending arrest warrants.

He said an operational “online database” of arrest warrants would have led to the instantaneous verification of people with outstanding warrants.

“In this land of popular surnames like Reyes, Cruz, Rosario and Santos, naku, ang hirap kumuha ng police o NBI clearance. Marami kang kapangalan. At dadaan ka minsan sa butas ng karayom para patunayan mong hindi ikaw ‘yun,” Recto said.

(In this land of popular surnames like Reyes, Cruz, Rosario and Santos, it would be a hassle to secure the police or NBI clearance. You’ll have countless namesakes. Sometimes, you’ll go through the eye of the needle to clear your name.)

The senator was apparently referring to the case of the two drivers, the 72-year-old man, Elmer Cordero, who earlier claimed he had a namesake for the estafa case and Wilson Ramilla, who was freed after authorities found out that his car theft case in 2010 has been already dismissed.

READ: Court orders release of 72-year-old Piston member, other jeepney driver from Caloocan jail

The senator also called the current system for recording warrants and cases “organized chaos.”

“The burden of proof lies with the person and not with the law enforcement agency. Ang daming ganitong kaso sa airport na na-block ng Immigration na sumakay sa eroplano, often based on sparse details,” He said.

(There were many cases at airports like these where passengers were stopped by Immigration agents to board the plane, often based on sparse details.)

Recto also believes that the “organized chaos” will end if the operation of the multi-agency National Justice Information System (NJIS) or the web that will facilitate data exchange among agencies is rushed.

Led by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Information and Communications Technology, the NJIS intends to connect and facilitate seamless, secure and authenticated information exchange among different agencies from the justice sector of the Philippines in real-time.

“The failure to interconnect and digitize the antiquated record system have led to jail congestion, a police force clueless on the identity of wanted persons, and border control that inconveniences many innocents,” he added.

Based on the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s proposed 2020 budget, the annual cost of housing, feeding, guarding, and transporting one detainee would be about P101, 887. – Jim Mendoza, trainee