PDEA on Remulla son mugshot: It’s long been our policy to blur suspects’ photos

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Tuesday said it has long been its practice to blur suspects' faces in photos, amid the release of Juanito Jose Remulla III's mugshot in which his face was covered up.

Remulla, son of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, was arrested by the PDEA last week in connection with a parcel that was intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport allegedly containing P1.3 million worth of "kush" or high-grade marijuana. He has been charged with drug possession.

“We have a standing policy on media handling so mali na sabihin na hindi namin ginagawa [it would be wrong to say that we are not doing it],” PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon told GMA News Online, adding that the agency has taken the initiative to blur photos it shares because the press sometimes fails to edit the photos before publishing.

“We crafted the Memorandum Circular in response to several complaints in the past invoking the presumption of innocence rule on arrested suspects,” he said. “Matagal na 'yung policy namin [This has been our policy for a long time].”

Carreon also said that PDEA's regional offices and social media follow the policy strictly. “Anchored on the Data Privacy Act po ito, [Republic Act] 10173, under which PDEA has its own Data Privacy and Security Manual.”

Carreon said that while the policy was issued in 2021, “we have already been practicing the non-presentation of suspects in a 'line-up' manner and the blurring of faces of both our agents and the suspects long before the issuance of the policy.”

GMA News Online has also sought comment from Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos on the matter of the police's release of suspects' photos.

On Monday, House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro questioned why the younger Remulla's face was covered up in the released mugshots, as well as the fact that the PDEA arrested him on October 11 but only announced his arrest on October 13.

Remulla earlier said he would not interfere with his son's case, and has refused to resign, saying that he "serves at the pleasure of the President."

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. earlier said that calls for Remulla to resign have no basis. — BM, GMA News