Slain witness recommended taken off protection program

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA—The witness in the killing of Digos City journalist Nestor Bedolido four years ago who was himself reported shot dead in Davao City Thursday night had been recommended removed from the Department of Justices’ Witness Protection Program for his refusal to report to a government safehouse, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Friday.

De Lima said the notice for the termination of WPP coverage for Ritchie Nacao Manapol was already in her office. He was shot dead in Davao City on Thursday night.

“Per our WPP director, yes, he’s a WPP witness. He was directed to report to a TS (temporary shelter) or a safehouse but he refused,” De Lima said when asked about Manapol’s status.

“His WPP coverage is thus recommended for termination in view of such refusal. The draft Notice of Termination is now with my office,” she said.

De Lima said the WPP was “purely voluntary and entails mutual undertakings/obligations on the part of both WPP and the covered witness.”

“If witnesses refuse to relocate to a TS, despite earnest efforts to convince them to so relocate, there is nothing we can do. As WPP implementors, we are not jailers of our witnesses,” De Lima said via text message.

“In exchange for protection by WPP, the covered witness must abide by reasonable rules and regulations, such as staying in a TS if our security assessment of the covered witness so warrants. Refusal to so relocate and violation of our rules are grounds to terminate WPP coverage,” she added.