Marantan asks DOJ to stop Quezon ‘shootout’ probe

MANILA, Philippines—One of the police officers implicated in the death of 13 people in Atimonan, Quezon asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to stop its formal inquiry on the case while his petition with the Supreme Court is pending.

The DOJ is conducting a preliminary investigation on the multiple murder complaint filed against him and 20 other members of the Philippine National Police and 14 members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Supt. Hansel Marantan. MARICAR P. CINCO / INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON

“Hence, this motion to defer proceedings is, therefore, filed so as not to render the petition moot and academic,” Superintendent Hansel Marantan, through his counsel Hector Corpus, said.

Marantan went to the Supreme Court to question the DOJ’s investigation, saying that Justice Secretary Leila De Lima already prejudged the case when she declared that there was “definitely no shootout” even before the investigation was terminated.

Marantan asked if it would still be fair for De Lima and the DOJ to conduct the preliminary investigation instead of the Office of the Ombudsman.

He also invoked judicial courtesy, meaning waiting for the court to decide on his case before the proceedings at the DOJ begins.

“It would be proper for a lower court to suspend its proceedings for practical and ethical considerations…By rushing to resolve the preliminary investigation without awaiting the action or decision of the Supreme Court, respondent [DOJ] therein would effectively negate and void any action or decision of the highest court of the land,” Marantan said in his motion.

The police and military personnel were charged after the NBI investigation showed that there was no shootout but the 13 victims were summarily executed.