Last Thursday, February 17, 2011, the Salonga Law Center for Law and Development and the Silliman University College of Law hosted a seminar-workshop on the “Apprehension and prosecution on drug-related cases” for members of the Philippine National Police in the province of Negros Oriental on the occasion of Law Week and the 75th Anniversary of the Silliman University College of Law. Held at the VH Moot Court, Silliman University, the seminar-workshop was attended by some 70 law enforcement officers involved in the apprehension and prosecution of drugs-related cases, coming from different parts of the province including the PNP, PDEA, CIDG and the NBI.
“The seminar-workshop was initiated in light of recent cases decided by the Supreme Court stressing the need for the prosecution and all law enforcement agencies involved in anti-illegal drugs operations to ensure proper observance of the rules governing entrapment of peddlers of prohibited substances (People vs Pajarin,G.R. No. 190640, January 12, 2011). Non-observance of the rules could result to dismissal of the case or acquittal of the suspect.
The lecturers in the workshop were Judge Rafael Crescencio Tan, Jr., Prosecutor Jose Ramon Nakao, and Prosecutor Arnel Zerna who spoke on recent updates in apprehension and prosecution particularly new rules on the chain of custody and evidential technicalities. The workshop also provided a venue for the enforcement agents to present affidavits based on a situationer where an award for Best Affidavit was given.
“This is an example of a private-public partnership for a noble cause,” Hon. Rafael Cresencio Tan, Jr. enunciated when he provided the seminar milieu.
