DOJ, DILG discuss safeguards vs. e-warrant leakage

Newly-appointed Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Friday met with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to discuss safeguards against leakages of e-warrants in the operations of the Philippine National Police and National Bureau of Investigation.

Jonvic said that the information technology of the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior and Local Government have become integrated.

“We’re sorting out the issues,” he said in an interview.

“The warrant will be issued to the requesting agency tapos may parang embargo, embargo from mga eight hours, six hours, bago dumating… unless coordinated ‘yung efforts, we’re going to go for a system na may six-hour embargo,” he added.

(The warrant will be issued to the requesting agency and then there will be an embargo four around eight or six hours… unless the efforts are coordinated, we’re going to go for a system with a six-hour embargo.)

The Interior Secretary declined to name specific cases, however, he stressed that many cases have been affected due to leakages.

“Dapat ‘yung lead agency ang siyang unang— has first crack at it. Sila na ang may information, hindi na iba,” he said.

(The lead agency should have the first crack at it. They should have the information.)

In June, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian theorized that syndicates may have insiders within law enforcement agencies and the judiciary who tipped the operators.

This is because only 158 Chinese, Vietnamese, and Malaysian nationals were arrested during the raid of the Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga.

Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) spokesperson Dr. Winston John Casio said they expected to arrest more than 1,000, but that information on the operation may have been leaked.

Remulla took his oath before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News