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Friday, March 3, 2017
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MANILA – The Department of Justice started the preliminary investigation on the complaints against the organizers of the Closeup Forever Summer concert in Pasay City on May 21 last year where five people died.
Respondents Unilever Philippines officials and the organizers did not appear at the hearing on Thursday but were represented by their lawyers.
Associate Prosecution Attorney Anna Noreen Devanadera directed them to submit their counter-affidavits during the next hearing on March 17 and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to submit additional evidence by March 6.
The NBI filed charges of criminal negligence and violation of the Corporation Code before the Justice department against Rohit Jawa, Unilever Philippines chairman and CEO and current executive vice president for operations in Southeast Asia; Jesus Canlapan, Unilever Philippines manager for workplace services and facility security; Alberto Curnelius Trinidad, Unilever’s marketing director for Closeup; Joy Dalanon-Ocampo, country manager for safety, health and environment; Procurement Manager Melissa Alcayaga; and Closeup assistant brand manager Bea Lagdameo.
Also charged were Michelle Suzanne Claire Quintana, Anna Kristina Doctolero and Baby Majalia Ahamadul, senior accounts manager of Activation Advertising, Inc.; Reginald Soriano; Eduardo Muego; John Paul Demontano, owner and president of HypeHouse Production Corp.; and Alexis Engelberto Aragon, owner of Delirium Manpower Services.
Ariel Radovan, counsel for the families of victims Ariel Leal and Bianca Fontejon, said he is consulting with the lawyers of the other victims Lance Garcia, Ken Migawa and Eric Anthony Miller.
“The NBI already submitted the formal report, the witnesses were summoned to swear on their respective affidavits, but the complainants are thinking whether to amend the complaint to include other respondents,” Radovan told reporters before the preliminary investigation started.
He added: “It is our position that other respondents must also be included in the charges. We are reviewing files, and there is a probability that we are going to amend the files so that other corporate officials, either from Unilever or Activation Group, should in our view be held accountable criminally.
“With due respect to the NBI, they were the ones who conducted the investigation, and it is their prerogative, but as private prosecutors, it is also our right and prerogative to include other personalities.
“We are not saying we are not satisfied with the NBI. The NBI have done their job, but we as private prosecutors are concerned since we saw there are other corporate personalities who must be named as respondents in the case.” (PNA)
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