CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Over 60 percent of pending court cases in Northern Mindanao — whether involving detained or at-large suspects — are tied to illegal drugs, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office said, highlighting a persistent challenge for the region’s justice system.

Regional State Prosecutor Merlynn B. Uy reported that in the first half of 2025, her office filed 2,559 drug-related cases from 1,336 complaints, noting that multiple cases can stem from a single complaint.

Uy said plea-bargaining has sped up case resolutions, but warned it can only be availed once. “Repeat offenders, if convicted again for the same crime, will serve the full sentence,” she told the Daily Tribune.

The Department of Justice’s case build-up (CBU) system, introduced a few years ago, has helped trim criminal cases by 15 percent through closer coordination between prosecutors and law enforcers, as required under DoJ Circular 20. But Uy said drug cases remain a major concern despite the improved conviction rate.

She stressed strict compliance with Section 21 of Republic Act 9165, as amended by RA 10640, to preserve the integrity of seized drugs and prevent evidence tampering. This includes witness presence during operations, proper inventory and photographs, with witnesses from the DoJ, the media, or local officials.

Apart from drug cases, Uy’s office is also handling Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children complaints, which likewise undergo the CBU process. Some accused, often relatives of victims, have pleaded guilty under plea-bargain agreements.

Partnership with the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit has led to convictions, Uy said, noting that Cagayan de Oro and Iligan currently have the country’s highest number of recorded OSAEC cases, prompting best-practice benchmarking for prosecutions.