Paranaque RTC to hold legal clinic for cops

STRESSING that effective law enforcement is a key to effective governance, Paranaque City Mayor Edwin L. Olivarez has initiated the holding of a legal clinic for local law enforcers and force multipliers like village watchmen conducted by the Paranaque Regional Trial Court (RTC) judges.

Olivarez said the law enforcers’ limited background on the proper handling of suspects when implementing lawful orders, is one of the reasons why there were frequent complaints of violations of human rights and unlawful arrests against them.

To address the situation, the mayor has asked Paranaque RTC Executive Judge Jaime Guray to hold the seminar that covered various topics the most significant of which was on how to properly apprehend and charge suspects before the court.

Shortly after the conclusion of the legal clinic, Mayor Olivarez expressed his gratitude to the judges and the participants while also hoping that the initiative would translate to a more efficient dispensation of justice in the city.

“Isa po sa mga pangunahing hangarin ng aking panunungkulan maliban sa makitang umuunlad ang pamumuhay ng ating mga mamamayan ay ang makitang maayos na naipatutupad ang batas at sistemang pangkatarungan” Olivarez said.

(One of the main objectives of my administration aside from uplifting the lives and livelihood of our people is to see to it that the law and justice system are properly implemented and observed.)

Executive Judge Guray for his part has acknowledged the necessity of holding such kind of legal clinic “not only to equip the participant law enforcers with sufficient knowledge on how to deal with criminals but more importantly to make them more humane in dealing with law offenders” .

The executive judge likewise admitted that one of the main reasons why there was a very low rate of convictions in court especially among drug suspects, is the improper means by which cases are filed by policemen in court.

Mayor Olivarez meanwhile pointed out that even as he gives importance to fulfilling his mandate of making the lives of his constituents better, he is also as concerned as with seeing to it that the city is peaceful and crime free as much as possible.