Barbers call for improved drug evidence inventory system

Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Tuesday enjoined concerned anti-drug  and law enforcement agencies to come up with an improved system involving the inventory of pieces of evidence seized during anti-illegal drugs operations.

Barbers made the call during a House Committee on Dangerous Drugs hearing, questioning authorities on how the process of inventorying evidence in drug cases is conducted.

“The reason why I ask that is the more delays that we incur in the inventory of evidence, maraming duda eh maraming pumapasok sa isipan ng mga ating kababayan,” said Barbers who chairs the committee currently tackling amendments to Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002

(The reason I inquire about this is that the more delays we encounter in the inventory of evidence, many doubts arise, and a lot of questions enter the minds of our fellow countrymen.)

“…There must be a system dapat sa enforcer side, you have to make sure na within a period of 24 hours, tatapusin niyo ‘yung inventory whether it is one kilo or 100 kilos. To avoid ‘yung doubts on the integrity of the evidence,” he added.

(There must be a system on the enforcer’s side. You have to ensure that you complete the inventory within 24 hours, whether it is one kilo or 100 kilos. This is to prevent doubts about the integrity of the evidence.)

Barbers pointed out that since the passage of RA 9165, there have been cases of law authorities being involved in “recycling” or outrightly nabbing the evidence.

Hence, Barbers further stressed the need for the Philippine National Police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agencies (PDEA), and the National Bureau of Investigation to reinforce their systems involving the inventory of evidence.

“If it’s 10 tons, if you have to employ 100 people that will do the inventory and even more — then do it,” said Barbers.

“What we want the enforcers to do is to come up with a system on how to expedite the inventory process, para mawala na ‘yung agam agam din ng mga tao na nagpupuslit (so that the uncertainties in the minds of the people will be dispelled),” he added.

In October 2022, the Philippine National Police – Drug Enforcement Group seized 990 kilograms of shabu in Manila and Pasig and was even tagged as the “biggest drug haul” in Philippine history, with the shabu amounting to a total of P6.7 billion.

Controversy hounded the said operation after Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. alleged that high-ranking police officials attempted to cover up the arrest of dismissed Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo, the main suspect behind the seized drugs.