House panel approves bill legalizing wiretapping on drug lords

Iligan City representative Vicente Belmonte. Photo from congress.gov.ph

A bill seeking to legalize wiretapping on drug lords has hurdled the committee level in the House of Representatives.

The House committee on dangerous drugs, chaired by Iligan city Rep. Vicente Belmonte, approved the bill on Wednesday.

The bill seeks to amend Republic Act 4200 or the Anti-Wiretapping law to include, as an exemption, law-enforcement operations on drug-related offenses.

The bill would amend Section 3 of the law to allow wiretapping by any law enforcers in their fight against the alleged violators of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

The anti-wiretapping law exempts operations against treason, rebellion, sedition, and kidnapping.

In a committee hearing Wednesday, Belmonte said his bill seeks to investigate the shenanigans of drug lords operating behind bars.

“We need to capture the kings and queen, not the runners. The drug lords get their hands on contraband through visitors and jail guards. These contrabands empower the drug lords. (They have) drug dealings (from) within the confines of their detention facilities,” Belmonte said.

The Iligan representative moved to approve a simpler substitute version of his original bill, House Bill 5839 or the proposed “Act authorizing wiretapping in cases involving violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.” Marc Jayson Cayabyab/JE