PDEA vows tighter transparency measures in handling drug evidence

PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino said the agency abides by the provisions stated in Section 21 (Custody and Disposition of Confiscated, Seized, and/or Surrendered Dangerous Drugs, Plant Sources of Dangerous Drugs, Controlled Precursors and Essential Chemicals, Instruments/ Paraphernalia and/or Laboratory Equipment) of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as amended by Republic Act No. 10640. (File photo: PDEA Top Stories/Facebook)

MANILA — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has vowed to tighten its measures in ensuring transparency, safety and security in handling illegal drugs seized during operations.

This came after the Commission on Audit (COA), in its 2018 report on the agency, said PDEA has improved its evidence room by fully implementing all the recommendations of the audit team in the previous year.

PDEA said its laboratory and storage facilities for drug evidence are now housed in a new three-storey building of the PDEA Laboratory Service, considered to be the country’s premier drug forensic center, at the agency’s national headquarters in Quezon City.

The PHP25-million building was inaugurated on June 1, 2018.

PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino said the agency abides by the provisions stated in Section 21 (Custody and Disposition of Confiscated, Seized, and/or Surrendered Dangerous Drugs, Plant Sources of Dangerous Drugs, Controlled Precursors and Essential Chemicals, Instruments/ Paraphernalia and/or Laboratory Equipment) of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as amended by Republic Act No. 10640.

“Apart from the accused, PDEA requires the presence of two of the three compulsory witnesses each time there is physical inventory of confiscated drug and non-drug evidence: an elected public official, a representative from the National Prosecution Service (NPS), or a member of the media,” Aquino said in a statement.

PDEA also strictly adheres to the law by conducting an inventory of seized illegal drugs either at the site of recovery, the nearest police station or office of the apprehending unit as long as the integrity and evidentiary value of the confiscated items are properly preserved. This gives its forensic chemists ample time to complete the examination of drug evidence.

Restriction in the accessibility of the storage facility is one of the controls instilled by PDEA to assure the security of drug evidence and avoid legal implications in the future.

However, a three-man COA audit team was granted access to the new PDEA Evidence Room on May 15, 2018. The entry to the restricted area is PDEA’s way of showing transparency with regard to safekeeping of drug evidence and let COA did its functions.

PDEA is also strictly adhering to the provisions of RA 9165, in particular the conduct of annual physical inventory of evidence in the presence of two personnel each from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

In addition, destruction of drug evidence is always done in public by PDEA as a testament to transparency and accountability.

“The public display of destroying dangerous drugs is PDEA’s way of ensuring the Filipino people that they are indeed destroyed and not peddled back in the streets,” Aquino said, to dispel lingering public notion that some of the confiscated illegal drugs are being recycled.

“PDEA is currently intensifying its internal cleansing efforts, as part of its commitment to weed out erring agents and personnel involved in illegal drug trade, including drug recycling. The agency continues to conduct lifestyle checks to its personnel, while strengthening its internal counter-intelligence and security audit of all PDEA Offices/Services and Regional Offices nationwide,” Aquino added.

Meanwhile, the new PDEA evidence room has an upgraded security system, making it inaccessible to unauthorized personnel. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras were installed for 24/7 monitoring which leave no blind areas in the premises.

Fire extinguishers were also placed as part of the fire exhaustion system while metal grills and double doors were also installed around the facility.

The doors of the evidence room are secured with three sets of locks under the custody of three authorized key holders such that the absence of one key holder makes the entry inside impossible.

Preservation of the physical evidence is as important as its security. Thus, air conditioning units, exhaust fans and dehumidifiers were also installed for proper ventilation inside the facility.

Biometrics is set to be installed outside the evidence room to control access to the facility. The procurement of 10 new steel racks is also in the offing to enhance the storage of evidence.

The revitalized PDEA Laboratory Service is now in the process of developing an online drug inventory system throughout all PDEA Regional Offices to automate its inventory system through tagging and barcoding of evidence for speedy and accurate documentation and accounting of evidence.

“This is part of our continuing capability enhancement program for safekeeping of drug evidence. As the lead agency in the country’s anti-drug campaign, the integrity of PDEA in safekeeping of all pieces of drug evidence is of paramount importance,” Aquino said.

An annual physical inventory is conducted as a routine to address the issue on the possible risk of loss/destruction/pilferage that may compromise the evidentiary value of illegal drugs.

Proper documentation in the handling of illegal drugs is strictly observed which makes it difficult to tamper or pilfer with the drug evidence. The evidence is sealed with markings of the examining chemists when they reached the hands of the evidence custodian.

The persons who handled the drug evidence are logged in the chain of custody, together with the details of the evidence and its whereabouts. The chain of custody reflects the entry of evidence in the storage room and retrieval of the same by virtue of a subpoena, or court order, whether for court presentation or destruction.

“PDEA conscientiously implements the procedures on how to go about the turn-over, retrieval and disposal of drug evidence as prescribed by law. Any revision of the guidelines on handling and disposition of illegal drugs are within limits of the new or amended laws,” the PDEA chief said. (