MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said it will be adopting a “one-strike policy” in securing detainees.
Under Memorandum Circular No. 2018-002 dated January 15, PDEA personnel who are found guilty of serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, and grave misconduct for the escape of detainees will be dismissed without prejudice to the filing of criminal actions.
Among the circular’s guidelines:
No detainee shall be taken outside the Detention Facility without prior approval or permission of the Regional Director and the Chief of the Custodial Detention Facility
Detainees must not be allowed for other activities outside the detention facilities. Any detainee taken outside by virtue of an order of the Court or any authorized activity shall be logged in the official log book of the Duty Officer of the Day indicating the name of the Prison Guard or Agent taking custody of the detainee and the purpose of his release from the detention facility
In case of escape of detainees, standard protocol must be applied. The same shall be immediately reported to the Deputy Director General for Administration (DDGA), Deputy Director General for Operation (DDGO), and Director General (DG), PDEA
Afterwards, the concerned office must be subjected to a thorough investigation of its possible involvement or collusion of PDEA personnel
The PDEA Internal Affairs Service (IAS), in collaboration with PDEA Intelligence and Investigation Service (IIS), is tasked to conduct investigation on the matter, to ensure integrity on handling of detainees and to provide sanction under the standard protocols of the Agency
Regional directors in whose jurisdictions jailbreaks happen will also face relief and face administrative proceedings.
Although the agency said it has “the requisite capacity to maintain a detention facility and tightly secure arrested personalities for presentation to court and subsequent turnover to jail facilities,” it acknowledged that, as of December 31 last year, 19 dug suspects escaped during five jailbreaks.
