Lawyers want to stop ‘oppressive’ drug tests of QC residents

A police officer conducts a survey of occupants of houses in Payatas area, Quezon City as part of the police’s massive anti-drug clearing operation. INQUIRER / Grig Montegrande

Human-rights lawyers are poised to file a petition to stop the house-to-house drug testing being conducted by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) station 6 in Payatas.

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyer (NUPL) said the group will file a “petition for prohibition and injunction” on Wednesday against the QCPD’s drug testing, which they described as “oppressive.”

“The NUPL asserts that this repressive PNP operation violates basic constitutional rights of persons and is contrary to law,” the NUPL said in a statement.

The group of lawyers said they will also seek for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the police anti-drug program, following reports that the “illegal operations” continue and are “poised to continue in various parts of the metropolis.”

Atty. Maria Kristina Conti, secretary general of NUPL National Capital Region (NCR), said they received reports that “cops visited houses in Scout Tuazon, QC, and will return in the area.”

Conti also said they will file the petition at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.

Meanwhile, QCPD chief Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar earlier assured that the operation, only conducted by QCPD station 6, was voluntary and will not be used to file charges against anyone.

“Voluntary yun so kung ayaw naman nila ng ganun hindi naman sila pipilitin na magpa-drug test (It’s voluntary so if they don’t want it, they won’t be forced to undergo the drug test),” Eleazar told INQUIRER.net on August 23.

“Positive o negative man ang resulta, walang makakasuhan dito. Initial palang kasi kaya do-it-yourself kit ang gamit, pero pagkatapos ng test, may drug dependency evaluation naman. Mas intensive na proseso na yun,” he added.

(Whether the result would be positive or negative, no one will be charged. This is just an initial test that’s why a do-it-yourself kit is being used. But after the test, there will be a drug evaluation and that will be a more intensive process.) JPV

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