Police-lawyers on-call for 24/7 to provide legal advice to operatives
February 8, 2010 1:11 am
MANILA, February 7 –- To avoid legal technicalities during police operations, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa ordered over the weekend the availability of police-lawyers 24/7 to guide operatives.
With this directive, the PNP high command expressed hopes that legal issues before, during and after police operations would be addressed with consultations and legal advice from PNP lawyers.
Verzosa specifically directed Chief Superintendent Herold Ubalde, Director of the PNP Legal Service, to activate immediately hotlines for queries on legal matters and are operational on a 24-hour basis where police lawyers are on hand and ready to answer anytime legal questions posed by policemen in the field. <>The legal program, dubbed as “Project ALERT 24/7” is primarily designed to minimize, if not totally eliminate potentially problematic but otherwise avoidable legal technicalities and issues that may confront policemen in the field who are conducting law and security operations to enforce the Omnibus Election Code in the run up to the national and local elections on May 10, 2010.
“This program aims to give our policemen in the field timely and well-explained legal advice to boost their confidence in implementing the myriads of laws and provisions in the Omnibus Election Code and Comelec Resolutions as well as to remind them to always observe human rights. This is because the PNP adhere to the principle that fair and just implementation of the law strengthen our position in ensuring a peaceful and orderly election on May this year,” Verzosa said.
With the activation of the 24/7 police legal hotlines at the Office of the PNP Legal Service inside Camp Crame, any police personnel who are stumped with confusing legal interpretations of the provisions of the Election Code and other laws especially those arising from actual police operations, may directly consult PNP lawyers through ALERT/24 to enlighten themselves and learn the official legal stands, interpretations and positions of the PNP on the questioned provision of the law.
Meanwhile, all Regional and Provincial Joint Security Control Centers are advised to disseminate to their respective personnel the contact details and other information relating to Project ALERT 24/7. (PNA)V3/MM/pr
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