THE House committee on public order and safety has approved a proposal to grant subpoena or subpoena duces tecum powers to the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group which are essential in the completion and fast-tracking of its investigation of cases.
Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, committee chairman, said the panel has approved House Bill 2993 authored by Surigao del Norte Rep. Francisco Jose Matugas.
Matugas raised the challenges being faced by the CIDG in the conduct of investigations because of its inability to procure documents and witnesses.
“This bill seeks to remedy that situation by giving the PNP-CIDG subpoena/subpoena duces tecum powers in relation to the conduct of investigations. It is surprising that the PNP-CIDG which is the country’s main law enforcement agency has no power to issue subpoena which plays a significant role in any fact finding or investigation,” he said.
He noted the country’s statutes allowed some agencies with the power to issue administrative subpoena and subpoena duces tecum, such as the Office of the Ombudsman, Department of Justice, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, National Police Commission, Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Cybercrime Operation Center of the Cybercrime Investigation Coordination Center.
“These investigatory agencies were given subpoena powers. There is no reason why we should not give the same power to the PNP-CIDG so that it can properly carry out its mandate,” he said.
The life blood of an investigation is the flow of fact, the gathering, the organization and the analysis of evidence, he added.
“Investigations are useful for all administrative functions, not only for rule making, adjudication, but also for prosecuting, for supervising and directing, for determining general policy, for recommending legislation, and for purposes no more specific than illuminating obscure areas to find out what should be done,” he said. “The CIDG is tasked with the investigation and prosecution of crimes of such magnitude and yet it does not have the power to issue administrative subpoena to aid them in conducting their investigations,” he said.
Acop, a former CIDG director, said the CIDG, formerly the Criminal Investigation Service of the Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police, had its own charter with a provision to issue subpoena and subpoena duces tecum.
“The CIS was abolished and it became the Criminal and Investigation Unit pursuant to Republic Act 6975. So I believe the Honorable Matugas will bring back that power to the CIU of the PNP,” he said.
