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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Desistance to prosecute by family member alarms DOJ in cases of missing 'sabungeros'

Desistance to prosecute by family member alarms DOJ in cases of missing 'sabungeros'

Published Aug 15, 2023 10:51 am

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla on Tuesday, Aug. 15, said the Department of Justice (DOJ) will not give up in prosecuting the cases involving the missing “sabungeros” or cockfight enthusiasts despite the issuance of an affidavit of desistance by a family member of one of the victims.

 

“We’re not letting go of anything. The state can still continue the case even with the desistance of the families,” DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said during a press conference.

 

A family member of one of the missing “sabungeros” has issued an affidavit of desistance asking the DOJ to drop the charges in court against the suspects.

 

“Nag-execute ng affidavit of desistance sa case number one (The person executed an affidavit of desistance in case number one),” DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said during a press briefing on Tuesday, Aug. 15.

 

Remulla lamented that “among the eight cases involving the missing ‘sabungeros’ being prosecuted, case number one is the only case where a warrant of arrest has been issued against suspects related to the Manila Arena.”

 

He said that “case number one” has six accused persons, including a certain Julie Patidongan. He, however, did not give the names of the five other suspects and the names of the victims.

 

Earlier, the Philippine National Police (PNP) had disclosed that a total of 34 “sabungeros” have been missing since 2021.

 

The affidavit of desistance “is very alarming because this is the only case where accused Patidongan and others are implicated in the missing ‘sabungero’ cases,” Remulla said.

 

“Makikita mo ‘yung strategy ng lawyers nung accused (you can see the strategy of the lawyers of the accused) in case number one was really to have the only standing case with the standing warrant of arrests dismissed by settling with the families.”

 

But, Remulla said, the DOJ’s National Prosecution Service (NPS), through Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony D. Fadullon, had already replied and said “we cannot dismiss them if these people have not surrendered to the jurisdiction of the court or the DOJ.”

 

He noted that there are some families who have already refused money offers to settle.

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