Drug Council Moves to Give P300 Allowance to Cop Witness over Drug Cases

Policemen in Cebu City are so happy that there is move to give them transportation allowance every time they will appear as witness in courts and prosecutors offices related to the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

The Cebu City Anti-Drug Abuse Council is requesting the city legislators to allocate the necessary budget that could be used for the granting of allowance to any policemen who will appear as witness before the court or prosecutors office related to drug cases.

Lawyer Clarence Paul Oaminal, presiding officer of the Cebu City Anti-Drug Abuse Council, explained that only those policemen assigned in the city shall be afforded with such benefit at P300 for every court appearance as witness in a drug-related case.

It was Oaminal himself who made the suggestion during the meeting of the members of the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council and it was unanimously approved by the body.

Oaminal said that once the matter would be passed by the City Council, the police officer, after securing his certificate of court appearance, shall submit it to the Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (COSAP) so they could claim the P300, allowance.

At present, policemen who will attend their court duties will spend their own money in going to the court or prosecutors offices because there is no government funds intended for their transportation allowance.

Oaminal explained that the Cebu City Prosecutors Office is located at the Palace of Justice in Capitol Site where the police file its case for Inquest and Preliminary Investigation.

But the Regional Trial Courts, which has exclusive jurisdiction in hearing over drugs cases is done at the Quemonda Building in North Reclamation Area.

He cited as an example that a police officer assigned at the Mambaling Police Station testifies in court in an anti-drug operations case and he has to travel from Mambaling to the reclamation area.

“No budget has been allocated to defray these expenses. He has to wait at the court for his case to be called, and often eats at the vicinity of the new location of the court,” Oaminal said.

According to Oaminal that it is unfair for the police witness to spend his own money for attending and testifying in courts.

“Our elected officials may not mind this because majority of them are issued with government vehicles, with fuel allowances. This also applies to national government officials and employees, their travel are spent by their offices,” Oaminal said.

The former undersecretary of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) said providing the police with court allowance is to show that the city legislators are supporting them in the fight against the drug menace.

“If we are to win the war against illegal drugs, let us look after the welfare of our warriors. Our city will not hurt financially if we provide our policemen with allowance,” he added.

Oaminal observed that a number of policemen had been dismissed from the service for failure to attend court hearings, and while other may have some malicious reasons, but others solely anchored on the problem of fares going to and from the court.

“If we could afford allowing our city officials going abroad why we cannot spare a dime for our police officers to ensure the conviction of those they have arrested?” Oaminal said.