Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla reminded police officers of their crucial role as indispensable partners of the Department of Justice (DoJ) in upholding the rule of law.

In a statement, Remulla emphasized that the alliance between prosecutors and police officers serves as a cornerstone of the country’s justice system, as both are mutually reliant on each other to fulfill their respective mandates effectively.

“Hence, we must not let a few misguided cops remain in the service so as not to negatively influence the majority of our police force who are faithful to their sworn mandate,” Remulla underscored.

To preserve the integrity of the criminal justice system, Remulla vowed the DoJ would go “all-out” in prosecuting the 30 erring police officers involved in the planting and bungling of evidence in one of the biggest drug hauls amounting to P6.7 billion worth of shabu.

The DoJ, Department of the Interior and Local Government and National Police Commission (Napolcom) recently revealed the results of their joint probe into the case that has been filed before the Manila Regional Trial Court.

The case will now undergo a comprehensive build-up under DoJ rules to ensure that it is airtight. Once the review and reevaluation are completed, the preliminary investigation of the 30 accused police officers will commence.

Justice Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez said they may initiate the criminal cases soon.

For his part, Prosecutor General Richard Anthony D. Fadullon said that based on the evidence and the findings of the DoJ, Napolcom and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the case for the planting and bungling of evidence against the 30 police officers is strong enough to warrant a conviction.

Fadullon said the DoJ is also considering withdrawing the initial drug charges filed in connection with the P6.7-billion shabu bust given the irregularities in the evidence and the testimonies provided by the police officer suspects.

“We believe and are seriously considering the possibility of withdrawing these cases because it would now appear that the cases were filed based on false allegations and fallacious evidence,” Fadullon said.

He emphasized the importance of knowing the whereabouts of the 30 erring policemen to speed up the processing of the cases against them once the arrest warrants are available.