MANILA, Philippines – Residents of several villages in Quezon City, through the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), have asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) to “immediately cease and desist” from conducting or scheduling any house-to-house-drug testing or conducting a survey, saying this was a violation of their rights.
NUPL, representing their clients who are residents of Scout Tuazon, South Triangle and Brgy. Payatas, will file a Petition for Prohibition and Injunction with prayer for Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Wednesday to question and restrain “such illegal acts” by the PNP.
The urban poor communities in these areas were recently subjected or are about to be subjected to “intrusive house-to-house survey” and on-the-spot drug testing purportedly in connection with the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign.
These operations were initiated or being implemented by officers and personnel at the Quezon City Police Station 10 and 6, respectively.
NUPL warned that these “essentially involuntary fishing expeditions are contrary to law and the Constitution and are brazen violations” of its clients’ basic constitutional rights.
“In view of the harassing and coercive manner of their implementation, these acts violate our clients’ right to privacy, right against unreasonable searches and seizures, right against self incrimination and presumption of innocence as well as their Miranda rights, as the case may be,” NUPL said.
On Tuesday, August 29, the NUPL also sent a letter to PNP-NCR Police Director Oscar Albayalde with copy furnished PNP Chief PDG Ronald Dela Rosa, PNP QC Chief Guillermo Eleazar as well as the respective heads of PNP QC Station 10 and 6, PSupts Pedro Sanchez and Lito Patay expounding about the matter.
