DOJ creates special team to probe Mamasapano incident

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima    INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has created a five-man panel to investigate the Mamasapano incident where 44 members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (SAF) were killed.

In a Department Order released Friday, the Special Investigation Team composed of members of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the National Prosecution Service (NPS) has been tasked to “evaluate, assess and determine the sufficiency of the evidence gathered, and who shall guide the NBI as to what should further be gathered and explored in order to build a strong case for the possible eventual prosecution of the charges before the court.”

Named members of the team are Assistant State Prosecutors Juan Pedro C. Navera, Irwin A. Maraya, Gino Paolo S. Santiago, Jocelyn T. Dugay and Assistant Prosecution Attorney Ethel Rea G. Suril.

“The Joint Special Investigation Team shall conduct a thorough, in-depth and comprehensive investigation and case build-up,” the order further stated.

The team will focus on the evidence from the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), report of the Board of Inquiry (BOI),0fficial reports of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), reports of the PNP-Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) on the forensic investigation of the crime scene, medical examination reports and records of the injured PNP-SAF members as well as the civilian casualties and the suspected wounded combatants from the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAFMILF), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and private armed groups (PAGs), firearms and ballistic reports.

De Lima said knowing the wide scope and coverage of the investigation, the rate of progress will not be uniform and the team will most likely encounter breakthroughs and dead-ends.

“For this purpose, in case the team arrives at any significant finding on any aspect of the investigation, the same shall also be brought to the immediate attention of the undersigned,” De Lima said.

The panel was given 60 days to make a recommendation.

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