QC court: No need to stop house-to-house drug testing

A Quezon City court on Monday denied the petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) filed by residents in two barangays where policemen were conducting house-to-house drug tests and surveys to identify drug users within their households.

According to Judge Editha Mina-Aguba of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 100, there was no need for the TRO after the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director, Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, said that they had voluntarily discontinued the house-to-house operations in Barangays Payatas and South Triangle.

Even as he insisted that no policy for house-to-house drug tests existed, Eleazar conceded that a survey form attached to the petition was from Police Station 6 which covers Payatas. The form asked homeowners to identify family members and neighbors who were drug pushers or users.

The petition for a TRO, prohibition and preliminary injunction was filed by the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers on Aug. 30 on behalf of 32 residents in the two barangays.

The respondents included Eleazar; Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa; National Capital Region Police Office chief, Director Oscar Albayalde; and QCPD station commanders Supt. Pedro Sanchez of Station 10 and Supt. Lito Patay of Station 6.

Residents in the two barangays earlier expressed concern and apprehension over the drug testing although Eleazar said they were not being forced or intimidated to submit themselves to the procedure.