San Carlos PNP lauded for high conviction rates vs drugs

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SAN CARLOS CITY – The police office here has been hailed by the Regional Trial Court Judge for its high conviction rates versus arrested illegal drug pushers.

CONSULTATION. The soft-spoken Supt. Charles Umayam, Chief of Police (COP) of San Carlos City, Pangasinan, speaks with college students how they and the police improve the peace and order situation of the 86 - village city. Umayam, known as Gospel Joe, was a former high school teacher in Calasiao, Pangasinan before he joined the Philippine National Police Academy and graduated there in year 2000. MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

Judge Renato Pinlac said unlike before when the cases against peddlers filed by the police have been thrown out by the prosecutors or judges or the defendants exonerated by the court, drug cases nowadays have a high conviction rates.
“That was after a seminar was called on how search warrant (SW) and arrest of suspected pushers were done” he said.
Reports from the Pangasinan Police Office (PPO) said that the success of arresting and chalking-up a high conviction rates were due to the police’s Case Operational Plan before they apply for a search warrants  or conduct buy-bust operations versus the culprits.
According to the Integrated Bar of the Philippine-Pangasinan Chapter  (IBP-PC) the conviction rate by the courts of persons charged for violation Republic Act 9165 or the anti-illegal drugs act is now at 80 percent.
Superintendent Charles Umayam, the chief of police here, collaborated the observation of Judge Pinlac, PPO, and the IBP-PC.
He said before they are going to implement the SW they coordinated with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) based in Pangasinan where the latter gave them control number.
He said the Philippine National Police here coordinate with the PDEA on the time they are going to implement the search warrant.
“We bring in our every raid a member of the media and official of the village who is either the chief or council member as witness where the drug raid is held”.
Umayam said that he agreed with the observation of Dagupan City’s chief of police Supt. Cristopher Abrahano who did not include this city as haven of organized illegal drugs.
Supt. Umayam cited the proximity of Dagupan City to this city as the probable reasons that organized illegal drug groups did not prospect.

The cities of Dagupan, Alaminos, and Urdaneta have been mentioned by Abrahano as place were organized drug groups established their trade.
He cited too the minimal presence of illegal drug cases here were due to the aggressiveness of his men.
 “The biggest shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) we confiscated here was a measly 14 grams,” Umayam, a graduate of the Philippine National Police, said.