PNP-12 chief to copsand Attend court hearings to ensure effective prosecution

KORONADAL CITY (Sept. 5/NDBC)— To ensure successful prosecution of cases filed by police in courts,a top police official in the region on Friday said all policemen should bepresent during court hearings. Chief Superintendent Lester Camba, police regional director for SOCCSKSARGEN region,said, appearing in court hearings, especially in cases involving illegal drugs, should be a priority of all policemen. A police officer who was ask to appear in court can ask permission from their station commanders, Camba said on the rationale of physical presence in court by law enforcers. I already directed our investigation officer to look into these drug cases,” he added. South Cotabato Board Member Esther Marin Catorce, who chairs the Education, Science, Technology and Information Committee, told a news conference that many drug cases filed in court were dismissed due to non-appearance of policemen.Catorce, also a member of the Public Order and Safety Committee of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, said she attended ameeting of Provincial Anti Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) where she learned of the sad development in prosecuting illegal drug cases. Out of the 42 cases relative to illegal drugs, 12 were dismissed not because the suspects were innocent but because police who implemented the search warrants and conducted illegal drug buy bust operations failed to appear in court,” Catorce said. She said it was unfair on the part ofthe provincial government of South Cotabato that allocated part of its annual budget as reward specifically to police personnel who conducted successful anti-illegal drug operation in the province. To curb the menace, Edilberto Fermil, National Police Commission (Napoclom) 12 regional director, said that his office is now closely coordinating with various courts in the province. In 2013 we have a peace and order meeting in South Cotabato, and Judge Lorenzo Balo (of RTC Branch 24), presented that problem, there are a number of policemen who are not attending, so we have agreed, they are sending us copies of their order to Napolcom, and we have been directing the PNP, let the policemen explain why they failed,” Fermil said. Fermil also confirmed that in most cases, policemen failed to show up in court hearings because of transfer of areas of assignment. Failure to appear in any quasi judicial authority like the court is already a grave misconduct. According to Fermil, non-appearnace in court for no valid reasonis punishable by amaximum penalty of dismissal from service. (NDBC)