Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday said a formal agreement is being drafted between the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the bureau to look into cases of alleged irregularities in anti-drug operations identified by the police force.
Guevarra said DOJ officials met with the NBI led by officer in charge-director Eric Distor on Tuesday regarding the procedure to be followed in the investigation.
“The NBI readily accepted the responsibility and undertook to buckle down to work immediately, using the 52 PNP case files as a starting point,” Guevarra told reporters.
He added that the NBI was briefed on the DOJ review panel’s findings on the 52 cases turned over by the PNP and on its recommendation that further investigation and case build-up be done by the NBI with respect to the possible criminal liability of around 154 police officers involved in anti-illegal drug operations where deaths of suspects occurred.
Guevarra said it was also agreed that the NBI and the PNP would establish a mechanism to conduct joint investigations of so-called ‘nanlaban’ cases, or those that resulted in the death of a suspect who allegedly fought it out with lawmen.
He added that the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) will be engaged as the need arises, especially in the matter of coordinating with the victims’ families and their witnesses.
Source: Philippines News Agency
