SOJ orders probe on spate of killings of political activists in Bicol
MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday ordered the creation of two special investigating teams that will conduct an investigation into the recent spate of killings of political activists in Bicol.
The two special investigating teams will be headed by prosecutors.
“Acting pursuant to Administrative Order No. 35, the Secretary of Justice directed the prosecutors to head the investigating teams tasked to ascertain if the incidents are politically motivated, and to assist in the build up of cases for the successful prosecution of those responsible,” Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete told reporters.
Perete said the prosecutors are required to submit their report to the AO 35 Secretariat within 30 days from the creation of the investigating teams.
Subject to the investigation are the death of Karapatan human rights workers Ryan Hubilla and Nelly Bagasala, who were gunned down on June 15, 2019 in Sorsogon; and Neptali Moraga, a former Bayan Muna Bicol regional coordinator who was killed in Naga,Camarines Sur on June 17, 2019.
Hubilla was supposed to testify against military harassment and red tagging on the writs of Amparo and habeas data case before the Court of Appeals.
READ: Slain rights volunteer was supposed to testify on amparo case – Karapatan
A National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) official earlier said the recent killing of the human rights volunteers in Sorsogon could be the handiwork of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
“What we feared most is now happening and it is most likely that the killing was executed by the CPP, to support their filing of writs of Amparo and habeas data, the basis of which were their allegations of government harassment and attacks,” said Major General Antonio Parlade Jr., who is also the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Civil-Military Operations.
“The AFP has nothing to gain with this killing, especially in light of the filing of writs of Amparo and habeas data that the CPP and its petitioners do,” he said, adding that the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) should seriously conduct an investigation on the spate of killings of human rights workers. (Editor: Julie Espinosa)
