Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra on Wednesday, July 7, assured that the investigation on the so-called March 7 “Bloody Sunday” massacre in Southern Luzon provinces remains “a high priority.”

Guevarra’s assurance was aired amidst accusations of slow pace of the probe being conducted by the special investigating teams formed last March by DOJ-led Administrative Order (AO) 35 Inter-Agency Committee on Extra-Legal Killings, Enforced Disappearances, Torture and Other Grave Violations of the Right of Life, Liberty and Security of Persons.

Nine persons died while six others were arrested when the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) conducted joint operations in serving search warrants against persons with suspected links to the communist terrorist groups in Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Batangas provinces.

“Previously, I was informed about the extreme difficulty of accessing the place of the incidents. My understanding is that some of the places where the incidents occurred are quite remote and the terrain is difficult,” Guevarra said.

“But it will be much clearer after we have conferred with the investigating teams or we have seen their reports,” he said.

“Be that as it may, the Calabarzon incidents remain high in the priorities of the AO 35 committee,” he assured, and added that he has requested an update from the special investigating teams.

During a press conference on Wednesday, July 7, Defend Southern Tagalog Spokesperson Charmane Maranan expressed dismay over the slow pace of the investigation being conducted by the AO 35 inter-agency committee.

“We are also working hand in hand with the AO 35 na binuo sa mga provincial level na siyang nangangasiwa doon sa investigation ng DOJ (that were formed in provincial level to conduct the investigation of the DOJ),” she said.

“But even that, it is progressing very very slowly,” she lamented.

She claimed that the police has been uncooperative in releasing documents that would help in the filing of charges against policemen involved in the killings.

“Defend Southern Tagalog together with our legal counsel and the families of the victims of the Bloody Sunday massacre tuloy-tuloy yung ating pagkalampag sa mga opisina ng perpetrators para ibigay sa ating yung mga kinakaukulang kaso, dokumento para maisampa at gumulong itong kaso (We continue to knock at the doors at the offices of the perpetrators so that we can secure the documents that would enable us to file the charges and move the cases),” she stressed.