By ADRIAN STEWART CO
MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) will carefully scrutinize the recommendations to file crimes against humanity charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte in connection with the alleged extrajudicial killings during the previous administration’s drug war.
According to DOJ Undersecretary Hermogenes Andres, the cases recommended by the House of Representatives’ Quad Committee will undergo prompt and rigorous scrutiny by prosecutors, and no unsubstantiated harassment suits will be lodged.
“Pag-aaralan ng mabuti ng Department of Justice – National Prosecution Service ang lahat ng dokumento, ebidensya na i-elevate ng ating quadcom doon sa kanilang committee report that would possibly implicate people on crimes on humanity and international humanitarian law,” Andres said.
The DOJ official added that they have already established a task force on extrajudicial killings, and has started to collect evidence.
“Iko-consolidate natin ang lahat ng ebidensya kasama itong bagong committee report dahil dito po sa quadcom hearings ay marami po ang importanteng, mahahalagang impormasyon, pagsisiwalat at ebidensya at mismong pag-amin na posibleng magsimula ng mas malalim pang pagsususri at pagkalap ng ebidensya,” he said.
“If the evidence warrants, we will proceed with the filing of cases through the National Prosecution Service. But we assure everyone kami po ay nakakasiguro na hindi po kami magpapa-file ng harassment case. But when the evidence warrants, ‘pag meron po tayong sapat na ebidensya, we will hold people accountable,” he added.
Andres also said that, under the latest DOJ rules, the NPS will lead the case build-up in coordination with law enforcement agencies, along with the task force on EJKs.
“Patuloy po kaming nakikipag-ugnayan sa PNP, sa NBI, at sa lahat ng law enforcement agencies para siguraduhin na lahat ng relevant information, evidence, and admissions by the parties will be taken into account in completing our case build-up and, if warrant by the evidence, we will hold people legally accountable,” he said.
The House quadcom recommended the filing of crimes against humanity charges against Duterte, senators Christopher Lawrence Go and Ronald Dela Rosa, and other police officials.
The charges would be pursued under Section 6 of Republic Act 9851, known as the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity./PN
