News Roundup 23 November 2023
Nov 23, 2023 • 5 min Read
Remulla to discuss with other gov’t execs House resolution on ICC probe | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Thursday that he will discuss with other officials the current position of the government on allowing the International Criminal Court (ICC) to conduct investigations in the country.
“Hindi pa namin pinag-usapan although i intend to seek out the Executive Secretary tomorrow just be able to make sure that we have the same page on this matter, siyempre humihingi tayo ng instruction sa executive secretary,” Remulla said.
(We have not talked about it yet, although I intend to seek out the Executive Secretary tomorrow just to be able to make sure that [we are on the same page] on this matter, of course we will ask for instructions from the executive secretary.)
This comes after a recent resolution was filed in the House of Representatives, urging the country to cooperate with the ICC in relation to its investigation into the alleged violations during the previous administration’s war on drugs.
Full Story at: Remulla to discuss with other gov’t execs House reso on ICC probe (inquirer.net)
De Lima lawyers seek security for 7 more ‘recanting’ inmates | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Former Sen. Leila de Lima has asked a Muntinlupa City court to transfer seven prisoners from an Occidental Mindoro penal farm to New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City to protect them from purported threats after they expressed their intention to retract their accusations against her.
The inmates at Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm, including convicted drug lord Wu Tuan Yuan, also known as Peter Co, told the court in a Nov. 17 letter they hoped to be given the chance to recant their testimonies against De Lima “in the interest of truth and justice.”
“We no longer desire to live our lives with the knowledge that we allowed ourselves to become pawns or instruments of injustice… If given the chance [to recant], it will be our way of expressing our sincerest apologies to Senator De Lima and her family,” the inmates said in the letter addressed to Judge Gener Gito of the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 206.
On Nov. 13, De Lima was freed on bail after more than six years in police custody on charges of taking bribes from drug lords in NBP when she was justice secretary.
Full Story at: De Lima lawyers seek security for 7 more ‘recanting’ inmates | Inquirer News
Laguna prosecutors junk terrorism, murder raps vs human rights advocate, 15 others | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Laguna prosecutors have dismissed charges of terrorism and other criminal accusations against Hailey Pecayo, a 20-year-old human rights worker, and 15 others .
In a consolidated resolution dated November 20, Associate City Prosecutor Christian Castro explained that the charges, which included terrorism, violation of international humanitarian law, and attempted murder, lacked sufficient evidence linking Pecayo and the other accused to their alleged involvement in a military encounter in Batangas.
“First, the spot report as well as the progress report failed to identify the respondents. Second, the firefight happened in a forested area as depicted in the pictures, and (the) complainant and his witnesses were 10 to fifteen 15 meters away from the persons shooting them,” the resolutions read.
“Third, the armed encounter lasted for about 10 minutes, again in a forested area,” it added.
The prosecutors dismissed five complaints due to witnesses’ inability to identify the accused as perpetrators of the alleged crimes.
“Too much emphasis on names was placed by the complainant and his witnesses in identifying the alleged wrongdoers in these cases. It is underscored that familiarity with the physical features, particularly those of the face, is actually the best way to identify the person,” Castro said.
Sgt. Jean Claude Bacaro and Capt. Ival Neil Ogatis filed complaints against Pecayo and 15 other individuals in September 2023, alleging their involvement as New People’s Army members during a firefight at Sitio Amatong in Taysan, Batangas.
The prosecutors also said that the accused individuals were not present when the encounter occurred.
Full Story at: Laguna prosecutors junk terrorism, murder raps vs human rights advocate, 15 others | Philstar.com
‘Lack of probable cause’: Rizal prosecutor junks Anti-Terror Law charges vs 2 activists | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — An Antipolo prosecutor junked the complaint under the Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Law (ATL) of 2020 against two activists.
According to the resolution dated November 3, Associate City Prosecutor Kristoffer Ryan Tayhopon dismissed the complaint against Kenneth Rementilla and Jasmine Yvette Rubia due to the lack of probable cause on the claim of allegedly providing “material support” to the New People’s Army (NPA).
“The alleged act of the respondents in providing an ‘organized transportation’ to Hailey Pecayo in going to the wake of Kyllene is not per se providing material support to a terrorist, because going to a wake in itself is not an act of terrorism as defined and enumerated in Section 4 of R.A.,” Tayhopon said.
The resolution was made public days after the case of Pecayo and 15 others, who were accused of being members of the NPA, was dismissed by a Laguna prosecutor to which Sgt. Jean Claude Bacaro is also one of the complainants.
The complainant, Bacaro, accused Rementilla and Rubia of providing “material support” by being a “Quick Response Team” (QRT) to Pecayo by allegedly providing transportation while visiting the wake of a nine-year-old girl killed in a military encounter in Batangas.
Full Story at: ‘Lack of probable cause’: Rizal prosecutor junks Anti-Terror Law charges vs 2 activists | Philstar.com
