PAGADIAN CITY (PIA) – The Office of the Regional Prosecutor 9 has introduced new rulings and provisions related to case filing, including details about Department Circular (DC) 20.
During the recent Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas Program, Fiscal Manuel Donato V. Elumba discussed a significant development issued by the Department of Justice: DOJ Department Circular No. 20, Series of 2023, which was released early last year.
DC 20, or the “Policy on Pro-active Involvement of Prosecutors in Case Build-Up, “requires all prosecutors of the National Prosecution Service to strictly adhere to and implement the policies and guidelines outlined in DC 20 regarding their active participation in crime investigations.
This groundbreaking initiative aims to bridge the gap between law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, fostering a more seamless, efficient, and just investigation and case build-up system.
During his discussion, Fiscal Manuel Donato V. Elumba detailed the important DOJ Department Circular No. 20, Series of 2023, which was issued early last year.
Isa sa mga bagong issuances is yong Department Circular (DC) 20, kung saan nakasaad ang active participation ng prosecutors sa case build-up. Pero sa guidelines ngayon, itong DC 20 ay may bago rin ngayon na rules on preliminary investigation na kaka-issue lang and it just took effect recently,” (One of the new issuances is Department Circular (DC) 20, which outlines the active participation of prosecutors in case build-up. However, the new guidelines also include recent rules on preliminary investigations, which have just been issued and recently took effect.) Elumba said.
DC 20 raises the standard of proof for prosecutions from “probable cause” to “mere allegation” case, requiring stronger evidence to ensure a reasonable certainty of conviction.
With the issuance of Department Circular No. 20, it is now mandatory to present all evidence to avoid clogging the court’s docket. The main purpose of DC 20 is to ensure that cases filed in court are robust and not dismissed outright due to insufficient evidence.
Ang function talaga natin [National Prosecution Service] ay tiyakin na ang hustiya ay makakamit. Wala tayong pinapanigan kundi hustiya at katotohanan,” (our function [National Prosecution Service] is to ensure that justice is served. We do not take sides but focus on justice and truth.) he added.
(JPA/HTB/EAM/PIA9-Zamboanga del Sur)
