Yuji Kojima

News Article #3

Hear cops' story in Makati bar raid, Lacson says

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday urged the public to hold off their judgment 
against the policemen involved in the controversial raid in a Makati bar last week.
The senator, who is a former police chief, asked the public to not be too hasty in passing criticisms over 
the cops.

“Let us not be too hasty or harsh in condemning the [National Capital Region Police Office] without 
getting their side of the story. There is such a thing as presumption of regularity,” Lacson said in a 
statement.

Director General Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police chief, also said the same sentiment on 
Monday morning.
Albayalde said that there must have been a "compelling reason
   ”   behind the cops’ actions. Should counter­
charges be filed against the Makati cops, Albayalde said that the PNP will extend to them best legal 
assistance to defend their case.

Makati cops last Thursday detained lawyers Lenie Rocha, Jan Vincent Soliven and Romulo Alarcon for 
“intimidating” the police while they were conducting a search operation at TIME bar in Makati City.
The police, on the following day, filed criminal raps against the three lawyers, including a complaint on 
“constructive possession” of illegal drugs.
The arrest of the legal counsels drew strong criticism from Vice President Leni Robredo, lawyers’ groups 
and the public. The Commission on Human Rights also expressed alarm over the incident and said that it 
will continue its probe on the matter.
Lacson also pointed out that the NCRPO’s report noted that the lawyers roamed inside the premises, took 
pictures in every floor and touched items “as if doing their owns each without authority.” This could have
contaminated evidence, the lawmaker said.
Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Abdiel Dan Fajardo, also on Tuesday morning, said that the 
lawyers’ acts do not constitute obstruction of justice as the presidential decree on the violation has a list 
of specified acts.

'Arrest of lawyers alarming'
In a separate statement, the IBP board of governors said that the filing of criminal complaints against the 
three lawyers who were performing their duty “raises grave concerns for the rule of law in the 
Philippines.”
According to the Supreme Court, constructive possession “exists when the drug is under the dominion 
and control of the accused, or when he has the right to exercise dominion and control over the place 
where it is found.”
Earlier last week, police also filed complaints for maintenance of a drug den against the owner and 
employees of TIME bar. The NCRPO said that illegal drugs were recovered from chairs and tables of the 
customers in the bar.
But the IBP board of governors stressed that the three lawyers “had every right to represent their client 
and be present to observe and  record the implementation of a search warrant.”
“Such treatment of lawyers erodes the Constitution’s guarantee of due process for every person,” the IBP 
added.
The group also stressed that like the police who were investigating the case, the three lawyers who were 
arrested were only matching their determination in ensuring that legal rights are respected.

Reflection:

My opinion about this news is that because of the past reputation of the
Police, this time no matter how they try to project good image, still the public
is hesitant to believe. However, let us be rational and make discernment in
order to find out how true both sides are telling us about what happened.
Lawyers must recognize that they have limitations in practicing their
profession let alone their real place, which is in court during defense of their
clients. One of their limitations is not to interfere the lawful activities of
Police Operations in their implementation of warrants. Let the rule of laws
prevailed. The lawyers were charged accordingly and they have their rights
to depend themselves in the court. Let the court decides.