Planting evidence remark only a joke - PDEA chief

MANILA, Philippines - The chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) denied Monday reports that anti-narcotics agents have been planting evidence against drug suspects to justify their detention. In an interview, PDEA director general Dionisio Santiago said the statement being attributed to him was made in jest during a recent visit to Tacloban City. "I had been there (Tacloban) for eight years so when I saw and talked with long time media friends there, I told them that we have been planting evidence just to catch and jail these drug fiends. But it was only in jest," said Santiago, a former military chief. "Besides, if we resort to that (planting of evidence), it will be bad for us. We will be unlucky in our operations," he added. In the face of the agency's poor batting average in having convictions in drug-related court cases in court, Santiago hoped that results would be better next time. "All we can do is smile about it and hope to do better next time," he said. The most recent high profile drug case that PDEA is handling concerns that of the son of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. The Manila Trial Court had recently granted the younger Lim's bail petition. The bail came even as the younger Lim is accused of possessing more than 100 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu during a buy bust operation inside a hotel in Manila's Sta. Cruz district last March. Under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, persons who are caught with more than 50 grams of shabu cannot post bail. - GMANews.TV