Judiciary has “lackluster” record in disposing of drug cases in 2017: report

August 27, 2018

The judiciary was able to dispose of a slim number of drug cases at the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals  and various trial courts.

Based on the 2017 Judicial Annual Report of the Supreme Court, out of 928 drug-related cases filed with the SC, only 206 cases have been resolved last year or a disposition rate of 22 percent.

In the Court of Appeals, of the 3,105 pending drug cases last year, 898 have been resolved or a disposition rate of 29 percent.

The SC’s annual report said out of 289, 316 drug-related cases in the lower courts in 2017, only 12 percent or 34,683 have been disposed.

At the regional trial courts, a total of 83,396 new drug cases have been filed while 1,104 cases have been reopened or revived.

The SC report confirmed an earlier admission of Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta that lower courts are failing in drug cases.

"We are failing in drug cases," Peralta said, during his interview with the Judicial and Bar Council two weeks ago.

Under Article XI, Section 90 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, cases must be resolved not later than 60 days from the date of filing of the information (charge sheet). The decision on the case must be issued within 15 days from submission. But he said courts are “having a hard time.”

Peralta said counting should start after the arraignment. He added if the trial and reception of evidence will be scheduled during arraignment in drug cases, one court will have to try six or seven cases in one day, which is tough considering the evidence to examine and listen to witnesses' testimony. DMS