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ACTING
Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera on Wednesday ordered
all state prosecutors to expedite and prioritize cases
of human-rights abuses and extrajudicial killings
involving members of the military and police.
Devanadera said government prosecutors through
Department Order 841 that she issued on Wedneday are
required to conduct marathon preliminary investigation
into such cases, particularly those pending before the
Department of Justice (DOJ).
She also
reminded them that all cases must be resolved within the
prescribed period of 60 days from date of filing. The
DOJ is currently prosecuting 23 cases of extrajudicial
killings.
“I
decided to initially start with cases whose victims are
activists and the suspects are agents of the state,” she
said, adding that the department would focus on 23 cases
that were referred by the Commission on Human Rights.
Devanadera said the justice department will coordinate
with the National Police, particularly Task Force Usig,
to come up with a common working definition of the said
cases.
“Cases
involving extrajudicial killings shall be considered a
matter of priority and resolved within the prescribed
period of 60 days from the date of filing. Any extension
of the said period shall be considered only in
meritorious cases and upon approval of the head of
office or the chairperson but in no case to exceed 30
days,” the order said.
Likewise, Devanadera ordered the National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) to strengthen its task force with
the assignment of a crack team of lawyers and
investigators that will conduct a comprehensive
investigation into human-rights and extrajudicial cases
brought before the attention of the department.
This
task force, according to her, would now include
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysts and forensic
chemists, scene of the crime operatives, enforcers and
expert interviewers. The NBI will coordinate with the
National Prosecution Service in the case buildup and
prosecution.
“All
cases must be resolved within the prescribed period of
60 days from the date of filing with any prosecution
office. Any extension of the said period shall be
considered only in meritorious cases but in no case to
exceed 30 days,” she said.
Devanadera said that in cases where witnesses do not
appear on scheduled dates for preliminary investigation,
prosecutors should be insistent and assure that the
proceedings would push through without delay.
The
National Police, meanwhile, clarified claims by an
international human rights group that none of the
so-called extrajudicial killings had been solved since
last year.
The
National Police was reacting to statements made by the
Human Rights Watch (HRW) which claimed that authorities
have yet to solve the cases investigated by the group
last year.
“The
statement of HRW needs some clarification,” Chief Supt.
Samuel Pagdilao Jr., National Police spokesman, said.
Pagdilao
added that the National Police, mainly through the
efforts of Task Force Usig, has filed 56 cases in court
against suspects involved in some 116 murders of
activists and militants since 2001. The remaining 60
cases are still under investigation.
The
National Police considers these 56 cases as solved with
the filing of criminal charges against those
responsible. Ten suspects involved in some of these
cases are now in custody.
“It
should be interesting to note that 24 of the 56 cases we
have filed for the murder of activists and militants
were perpetrated by the New People’s Army, while
preliminary evidence points to the CPP-NPA as
responsible for five of the remaining 60 unsolved cases,
and another five of these unsolved cases are attributed
to some military personnel,” Pagdilao said, citing case
records culled by Task Force Usig. |
