The Department of Justice (DOJ) will ask the court to issue a search warrant to locate reported mass graves within the compound of Lucky South 99, a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO), that was raided in Porac, Pampanga.
“Kami nakikipag-ugnayan ngayon sa PAOCC at sa law enforcement upang sa paghanda ng mga dokumento para sa application for search warrant at umaasa kami sa susunod na linggo maihain na natin ang application for search warrant sa RTC (We are coordinating with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the law enforcement in preparing the documents to apply for a search warrant and we hope we can do this next week ),” said DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Felix L. Ty on PTV’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.
Ty said that Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla on Thursday, Sept. 12, disclosed an investigation into mass graves at Lucky South 99.
“Ang alam namin nasa loob ng compound ang mga bangkay (We believe that the remains are inside the compound),” Ty also said.
“Kaya tingnan na lang natin na once mabigay ng korte ang search warrant, tingnan natin kung ano ang mangyayari habang pinapatupad ito (We will see what happens once the court issues the search warrant. Let’s see what will happen in its implementation),” he added.
Earlier, PAOCC Spokesperson Winston Casio said authorities received reports that bodies were buried in the raided compound.
“These are very serious allegations that our task group cannot take lightly. For this reason, we have decided to apply for a search warrant to calm the anxious minds of both the foreign embassies with missing nationals as well as the relatives of those who have disappeared,” Casio said.
He noted that investigators and witnesses have already identified possible burial locations.