Regional Prosecutor Merlyn Barola-Uy (standing at center) pose for posterity with reporters after a Meet the Press forum at SM Downtown mall on August 6, 2025. [Meet the Press photo]
TheMonitorMindanaoToday.com | Drug cases still high in Normin
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – The case build-up (CBU) mechanism that the justice department introduced two years ago has cut the volume of criminal cases in judicial courts in Northern Mindanao, but there has been no let-up in illegal drug transactions in the region.
Regional Prosecutor Merlynn Barola-Uy of the National Prosecution Service (NPS) disclosed this unsettling reality in a “Meet the Press” forum here on Wednesday, August 6, although she admitted the CBU process has ensured “reasonable certainty of convictions” of the complaints they certify for preliminary investigation.
“The CBU has resulted to 15% reduction of criminal cases filed,” she said, attributing this to their collaboration with law-enforcement agencies, as mandated under Circular 20 of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
She said that the conduct of anti-illegal drug operations must always be in accord with Section 21 of Republic Act 9165 that stipulates the procedures for the custody and disposition of seized prohibited substances, paraphernalia, and related items.
Adherence to Section 21 of R.A. 9165 (Dangerous Drugs Act), as amended by R.A. 10640, protects the integrity and evidentiary value of confiscated items and prevent tampering of evidence.
The regional prosecutor said witnesses must be present during entrapment operation, physical inventory and taking of photographs of the seized items. Witnesses include an elected official and either a representative from the DOJ or from the media.
Barola-Uy said that for the first semester this year they have filed 2,559 drug-related cases out of the 1,336 complaints they received. She said over 60 percent of the pending cases in court where the accused are in jails—including those still at-large–are directly related to illegal drugs.
She said that the plea-bargain arrangement whereby the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a more lenient sentence, or an agreement to drop other charges, has somehow eased jail congestions and faster disposition of cases.
But plea-bargain process can only be availed once, so repeat offenders, if convicted again for the same crime, would serve the entire period of jail sentence.
Other than those involving drugs, the regional prosecutor said criminal complaints under Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) are also being subjected to CBU process. There have been instances, she said, where the accused, often involving family members, would plead guilty so as to avail of plea bargain agreement.
Barola-Uy said they have been in working closely with the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU) of the Police Regional Office 10 and this has led to the convictions of those accused under OSAEC cases.
Cagayan de Oro and Iligan have most of OSAEC recorded cases in the country and other judicial regions are benchmarking on best practices that led to convictions of those accused. [Uriel Quilinguing]
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