4 COPS IN HOT WATER FOR FAILING TO TESTIFY 

Four members of Task Force Jericho North Luzon may face a maximum of 20 years
imprisonment after a local court noted that "they failed in their bounden duty to testify"
against an accused known for his notoriety in drug-related cases. 

The failure of PO3 Roy Allan Abang, PO1 Armand Bautista, PO2 Arsenio Arrojo and PO2
Randolf Lagunoy "to confirm their haul by their failure to appear during trial and testify
on the account of the incident" against Paul Black, alias Paul Atos, led to the dismissal of
two charges lodged against him before the sala of Presiding Judge Antonio Reyes of the
city's Regional Trial Court ( RTC ) Branch 61. 

"This Court will relay this serious matter to the PNP director general, through Supt. 
Francisco Manalo Jr., BCPO director, and to Interior Sec.  Jose Lina," Reyes stressed in
his seven-page decision. 

Under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002,
"prosecutors, police officers and personnel who, through patent laxity, inexcusable
neglect, unreasonable delay or deliberately cause the unsuccessful prosecution and/or
dismissal of drug cases may be imprisoned for 12 years and one day to 20 years." 

Reyes, who handles drug-related cases, noted that with regard to Black's cases, the
unwarranted delay in the disposition of these cases made the accused suffer because of
the negligence of law enforcers. 

Court records showed that Black and his companion Gerardo Saclao were arrested by
operatives of the Task Force Jericho inside Black's house along Bonifacio Street two
years ago. 

Police operatives seized almost a kilo of marijuana and 3.3 grams of shabu from Black
and another 7.2 grams of shabu from Saclao. 

The accused, when arraigned, pleaded not guilty to the offense lodged against them. 
They filed a demurer to evidence but Reyes denied the petition. 

But the judge noted that during scheduled hearings, only police officer Richard Camba
came out to testify against the suspects, adding that other policemen failed to testify on
grounds that they were assigned to other places. 

These cases were supposed to be promulgated April 8 this year but Black's counsel filed
a motion for the re-opening of the case, demanding Black's fundamental right to a
speedy trial.  The motion was eventually granted. 

"The law enforcers, in spite of the fact of solid evidence having confiscated from the two
accused, failed to confirm their haul by their failure to appear during trial," the decision
noted. 

"( As such ), it is absolutely right and safe to say that Black has been denied his right to a
speedy trial and the failure to place him behind bars for the rest of his life, which he
should have merited because of the crime he has committed, is a case of police failure to
duty." 

Reyes, during an anti-drugs forum late last month, stressed that every right should be
accorded to the suspect, and that they cannot make any "shortcut" so as not to discard
the Bill of Rights. 

But while dismissing the charges against Black, Reyes also sentenced Saclao, who
jumped bail after his arraignment, to a maximum of two years imprisonment.