PAGADIAN CITY, May 18 (PIA) — The Provincial Legal Office of Zamboanga del Sur has recorded around 130 Friends Rescued (FRs) with different cases in the province. Out of which, 70 cases have been dismissed and 22 more cases are pending in court and are waiting for resolution of the courts.
According to ZamboSur’s Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Jose Ruel Saniel, other FRs have not been served yet with warrant of arrest.
“What we are trying to do right now, is we coordinate with the police, na before sana ma’serve nila ang warrant prepared na ang legal cluster sa mga document,” Atty. Saniel said.
(What we are trying to do right now, is we coordinate with the police. So that before the warrant of arrest is served, the legal cluster is already prepared with the documents.)
Atty. Saniel hopes the witnesses and complainant can file for an affidavit of desistance so that before the start of hearing, the documents and witnesses will be complete and this will expedite the cases.
The Provincial Legal Office currently handles the cases of FRs. Before that, ZamboSur Gov. Victor Yu establishes the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) Legal Cooperation Cluster which is compose of the Provincial Legal Office, Department of Justice (DOJ), Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), and all other stakeholders. The purpose of the ELCAC Legal Cluster is to make sure that legal services is extended to the FRs.
“We had a meeting. We discussed, how we will handle the cases of the FRs. Kasi they are unique in a sense that they are FRs, rebel returnees but their cases are personal like homicide, murder, etc. We have to talk about how to go with their cases,” said Atty. Saniel.
DOJ-9 Regional Prosecutor Dennis F. Araojo explains that the legal cluster was not created in order for all of these cases to be dismissed; including those that are prosecutable where they are sure that there will be a 100% conviction. The cluster will just assist and DOJ will provide the prosecutors who will help to handle the cases.
“We have two kinds of cases that are already filed in court. The first kind are cases that has been successfully build-up meaning these have complete set of witnesses and all of them are ready to testify. And we have obtained a complete set of evidence both testimonial as well as documentary. The other type of cases that are already pending in our courts, are what we call cases that are dismissible, meaning these cases are by reason of lack of evidence, or lack of interest of the complainants to testify, these are in fact cases that have ready to be dismissed,” Prosecutor Araojo said.
Meanwhile, Zamboanga del Sur Governor Victor J. Yu encourages the local government units to actively support the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict program of the national government to ensure the end of insurgency in the province.
“I would like to encourage the local government to support the ELCAC program of the national government to end the more than 50 years of insurgency. Although, we are just a few steps away from the finishing line, we cannot just relax because anytime naay comeback mahitabo kung mu’relax,” said Gov. Yu.
(Although, we are just a few steps away from the finishing line, we cannot just relax because anytime there can be a comeback, if we relax.)
Upon the dismissal of the cases of FRs, they can be reintegrated back to the barangays, to their communities, and they can also receive the benefits coming from the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program. (RVC/CCP/PIA9)
