A prosecutor of the Department of Justice (DOJ) was asked on Thursday, Jan. 26, to inhibit himself from participating in the resolution of the motion to reconsider the dismissal of the murder complaint filed against 17 policemen for the death of labor leader and activist Emmanuel “Manny” Asuncion on March 7, 2021.
Sought to be inhibited was Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Rodan G. Parrocha in a motion filed by Asuncion’s wife, Liezel, through the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) and the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL).
Also, through FLAG and NUPL, Liezel – the complainant in the murder charge -- has asked the DOJ’s panel of prosecutors, in which Parrocha is head of the panel, to reverse its ruling that dismissed the murder complaint filed against 17 policemen for the death of her husband.
Pls also read:
https://mb.com.ph/2023/01/26/doj-prosecutors-asked-to-reverse-rulingdismissing-murder-charge-vs-17-policemen/
In her motion for inhibition, Liezel said: “It is Complainant’s humble submission to seek the voluntary recusal of Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Parrocha from further resolving this case.”
“Senior Assistant State Prosecutor is likewise head of the 6-member Panel of Prosecutors of Counter-Terrorism Task Force of the National Prosecution Service (NPS) of the Department of Justice (DOJ),” she said.
“The Counter-Terrorism Task Force of the NPS, DOJ has been task to actively prosecute cases hurled against suspected and alleged members of the Communist-Terrorist Groups (CTGs),” she also said.
She pointed out that Parrocha has been “actively prosecuting” a number of cases pending before the Taguig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) against suspected CTGs ncluding Dionisio Almonte, Raul Razo, Tirzo Alcantara, Maria Salome Ujano, and Alan Jasmines.”
“Considering that Complainant’s husband, Emmanuel ‘Ka Manny’ Asuncion was targeted under the COPLAN ASVAL that was devised to neutralize and impair the alleged criminal operation of suspected members of CTGs, this taints the impartiality of the head of the panel of prosecutors from objectively considering the evidence presented by both parties,” she added.
She recalled that the murder complaint against the policemen was filed at the recommendation of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Inter-Agency Committee (AIC) On Extra-Legal Killings, Enforced Disappearances, Torture and Other Grave Violations of the Right to Life, Liberty and Security of Persons (IAC) was created under Administrative Order No. 35 in 2012.
“The mandate of the IAC is to serve as the government’s institutional machinery dedicated to the resolution of unsolved cases of political violence in the form of extra-legal killings (ELK), enforced disappearances (ED), torture and other grave violations of the right to life, liberty and security of persons,” she added.
TAGS: #DOJ #Manny Asuncion #FlAG #NUPL #Liezel Asuncion