The Department of Justice (DOJ) has started its probe on the March 7 deaths of nine persons with alleged links to communist rebels in Southern Tagalog provinces to determine if their cases should be investigated by the inter-agency task force on extra-judicial killings.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
During the “Laging Handa” briefing on Tuesday, March 9, DOJ Undersecretary Adrian Ferdinand S. Sugay said the probe to determine if the killings should fall under the task force on Administrative Order No. 35 (AO 35) has been ordered by Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra.
The AO 35 Inter-Agency Committee, which is chaired by the DOJ and created in 2012 by then President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, is tasked to investigate extra-legal killings, enforced disappearances, torture and other grave violations of the right to life, liberty and security of persons.
“Siguro within the week or maybe even in the next two days or next 24 to 28 hours lalabas yung aming initial findings diyan at titingnan kung ito po ba ay ibabato namin sa ating law enforcement agencies katulad ng PNP for a regular investigation or magbubuo po ang AO 35 mechanism (we will come out with our initial findings and determine if we will have the police conduct a regular investigation or form an investigating team under the Administrative Order mechanism),” Sugay said.
He said that not all cases can be covered by the AO 35 mechanism.
“So kailangan talaga extra-judicial killings (The cases have to be extra-judicial killings), particularly, involving persons who are members of cause-oriented groups or those who are engaged in legitimate dissent or opposition,” he pointed out.
Cited by Sugay as among the cases under the jurisdiction of AO 35 committee are the killings of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant Randall Echanis and Karapatan member Zara Alvarez, both of whom were slain in August last year.
“Sa ngayon tuloy-tuloy ang investigation tungkol dito sa mga kaso na ito ng AO 35 inter-agency committee through our special investigation teams (At the moment, the investigation of these cases continues through our special investigation teams),” Sugay said.
“We continue to look for witnesses who will help us uncover kung ano po ang nangyari diyan at kung maaari po sana mapanagot po natin kung sino yung involved dito sa pagpatay dito sa mga personalidad na mga ito (what happened to them and hold responsible those behind their deaths),” he added.
One of the challenges in the investigation of extra-judicial killings is to find witnesses who are willing to testify and assist in the investigation, he pointed out.
“These cases are quite controversial so I suppose in cases like these you will see the lack of willingness on the part of witnesses to come forward and to participate,” he added.