Cop-lawyers to back up prosecutors

MANILA, Philippines—Coming soon to courtrooms: Cop-lawyers.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) signed Monday a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine National Police (PNP) allowing policemen-lawyers to serve as “police prosecutor assistants” in the prosecution of heinous crimes.

PNP Director General Alan Purisima and Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, representing Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, signed the agreement after the flag-raising ceremony at Camp Crame.

“(This) will result in better coordinated action among the law enforcement and prosecution pillars of the criminal justice system,” said Purisima in a statement.

Under the agreement, the DOJ will deputize lawyers belonging to the PNP Legal Service as police prosecutor assistants and “crime scene attorneys” to handle the investigation of heinous crimes and high-profile cases.

Purisima said the policemen-lawyers would help DOJ lawyers prosecute criminal cases filed by the PNP.

Initially, he said, the policemen-lawyers would handle the investigation of election-related violent incidents considered “sensational or high profile in nature.”

The PNP chief said a DOJ-PNP body would then conduct a joint assessment of the program to determine if the scope of the deputation would need to be expanded.

“Under the deputation agreement, PNP lawyers deputized as police prosecutor assistants shall always be under the direct control and supervision of the DOJ prosecutors,” Purisima said.

Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr., PNP spokesman, said the program was initiated by Chief Supt. Francisco Uyami, former head of the PNP Legal Service and now director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, to hasten the resolution of criminal cases.—Marlon Ramos