PAG-ABSWELTO SA REYES BROS PINALAGAN

UMALMA ang grupong Alab ng Mamamahayag (ALAM) matapos panatilihin ang naunang resolusyong nagpapawalang bisa sa kaso ng pagpatay sa radio broadcaster at environmentalist na si Doc Gerry Ortega laban sa magkapatid na dating Palawan Governor Joel Reyes at Coron Mayor Mario Reyes.

Ayon kay ALAM Chairman Jerry Yap, dapat busisiing mabuti ng Court of Appeals (CA) Special 5th Division kaso ni Ortega bago ideklarang “null and void” ng ang binuong investigating panel ng Department of Justice (DOJ) sa pangunguna ni Secretary Leila de Lima.

Matatandaang muling nag-imbestiga sa krimen si De Lima kung saan idinawit ang mga dating suspek.

Sa paliwanag ng abogado ng mga Reyes na si Ferdinand Topacio, nagpapasalamat umano sila dahil nakakuha sila ng favorable ruling na nagsasabing ang second panel na binuo ni Leila de Lima upang imbestigahan muli ang Ortega murder ay walang bias.

Sa desisyon ng CA, hindi legal ang pagkakabuo ng panel kaya lahat ng gawin ng nasabing panel ay null and void, kaya kinatigan ang unang panel na pinapawalang-sala ang magkapatid na Reyes.

Wala rin umanong bisa ang warrant of arrest na inilabas ng ikalawang panel sa re-investigation kaya Malaya nang makababalik sa bansa ang Reyes Brothers.

Giit naman ni Yap, muling aapela ang mga mamamahayag sa nagging pasya ng CA dahil hindi lamang ang pagkamatay ni Ortega ang kaso ditto kundi ang kaso ng media killings na hindi binibigyang pansin ng gobyerno.

Kung palulusutin umano ng batas ang magkapatid na Reyes sa ginawa nilang krimen dahil lamang sa ilang technicalities, lalo lamang lalakas ang loob ng mga pulitikong may mga private army.

Ikinababahala din ni Yap na kung makalulusot ang mga Reyes dahil sa mga koneksyon at sa galling ng kanilang mga abugado, baka makalusot din ang Pamilya Ampatuan.

Inaakusahan ang magkapatid na Reyes bilang utak sa pagpaslang kay Doc Gerry sa isang ukay-ukay sa Puerto Princesa City noong Enero 24, 2011.

Noong Biyernes, November 23, ginunita naman ang ikatlong taong anibersaryo ng Maguindanao Massacre kung saan 56 katao ang nasawi, kasama ang 32 miyembro ng media.

DOJ starts training 150 investigators, prosecutors vs cybercrime

The government has started training more than 150 investigators and prosecutors in combating online offenses as prescribed in the newly signed Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

“Our new Office for Cybercrime will soon be established even as we have trained more than 150 investigators and prosecutors in cyber forensics to modernize our skills and competencies,” Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said in her speech during the Department of Justice’s 115th anniversary celebration.

She said the organization will be “young and dynamic.”

At least six petitions have been filed — by netizens, activists, members of the academe and even politicians — with the Supreme Court assailing the law, which President Benigno Aquino III signed last Sept. 12.

The petitioners were asking the court to issue a temporary restraining order on the implementation of the law due to the supposed vagueness of its provision on online libel.

The law will be effective on October 3, Wednesday.

A day before that, activists are set to launch “black protests” against the measure.

De Lima said the DOJ should not be blamed for the law’s controversial provisions.

“Hindi sa amin nanggaling ang mga provisions na ‘yun [such as] the libel provision, the provision that gives us the take-down power. In fact, our position papers would show that we have actually questioned all that,” she told reporters at the sidelines of the event.

De Lima, however, said that even though they had initially objected to those provisions, the DOJ still has to implement the law.

“We have our law now and it is our duty to execute the law, unless otherwise declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court or unless repealed by the crafters of the law, the Congress,” she said. — Rouchelle Dinglasan/KBK, GMA News

JUROR condemns ‘eviction’ of 2 DOJ press offices

THE Justice Reporters Organization (JUROR) strongly condemns the plan of the Department of Justice to transfer its office away from the Office of the Secretary and other officials of the DoJ at its second floor Main Building.

For decades, the media at the DoJ has been regarded as vital partners in dispensing justice thus, the proximity of its office to the Secretary of Justice is no coincidence.

As former President Corazon C. Aquino once said national leaders should “regard the media as their allies in keeping the government clean and honest.” True enough, former Justice Secretaries have allowed us to freely perform our mandate as the fourth estate despite certain disagreements on some stories that we have written.

Today, however, all the 30 members of the JUROR, an organization that has been founded after the restoration of democracy, is disappointed that with the former chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights at the DoJ’s helm, our freedom as members of the media is being curtailed disguised in the form of a rationalization program.

We are thankful to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, National Press Club, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, AnakPawis, other government officials, fellow media practitioners for supporting our position.

We call on the DoJ to release the alleged report of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) that tagged us as “security threat.” We take offense in such a tag because it shows that from partners, we are now regarded as an enemy.

We appeal to Secretary DeLima to reconsider the DoJ Executive Committee’s decision. The space is not an issue but the hampered flow of information which the DoJ officials admitted will happen is what we are most concerned.

As Thomas Jefferson said “it is however, an evil for which there is no remedy, our liberty depends on the freedom of the press and that cannot be limited without being lost.”

De Lima won’t issue lookout order vs Panamanian diplomat

The Panamanian national who was accused of raping a 19-year-old girl can now get away with any criminal liability after the Department of Justice (DOJ) affirmed the legality of diplomatic immunity granted to him by the government.

Secretary Leila de Lima said there were legal grounds that merits the release of Erick Bairnals Shcks as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) was merely complying with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations when it issued certification for immunity that led to diplomat’ release.

According to De Lima, the DFA is the agency with primary competence or authority on the matter.

“The immunity from criminal jurisdiction accorded to Mr. Schcks under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations was indeed valid,” De Lima said.

De Lima said there were no legal reasons to merit a possible inclusion of Shcks’ name in the lookout bulletin of the Bureau of Immigration.

She said it would not be proper for her, both legally and diplomatically, to issue a lookout bulletin order.

A technical officer of the Panama Maritime Authority, Schcks was arrested on April 24 over a rape complaint in Makati City.

However, after the DFA granted immunity to the 35-year-old Panamian, a Makati court ordered his immediate release.

In recent interviews, De Lima promised to conduct a deeper probe into the case, but found that Schcks is covered by an immunity grant.

Should the Panamanian government waive his immunity, De Lima reiterated that Schcks could only stand trial in Philippine court.

As to the case of Schks, the Justice Secretary believes there is a need to balance this pursuit of justice with existing legal principles. (mtimes)

Department of Justice submits Japanese abduction investigation report

By Ina Reformina, ABS-CBN News
The Department of Justice (DOJ) fact-finding team that investigated the alleged abduction and extortion of a Japanese national by officials and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation(NBI) is scheduled to submit its report to Justice Secretary Leila De Lima today.

The report will include the fact-finding team’s recommendations.

Undocumented Japanese national Noriyo Ohara, 32, was arrested by NBI agents in Pangasinan last October 29.

NBI officials and agents, particularly from the bureau’s Security and Management Division (SMD), reportedly extorted some P6 million from her and her Filipino foster family, in exchange for her freedom.

NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula was also implicated in the alleged extortion and has gone on a 30-day leave to give way to the DOJ investigation.

The 3-member DOJ fact-finding team is headed by Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III, with members Justice Asst. Sec. Zabedin Azis and City Prosecutor Donald Lee.

The fact-finding team’s report will be forwarded to Malacanan.

Reward for Palparan’ capture increased to P1M

The reward for the capture of fugitive former Bantay party-list representative and retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, Jr. was increased to P1 million.

In a press conference on Thursday, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila De Lima announced that she and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo have decided to raise the informant’s monetary reward from P500,000 to P1 million for any significant information that would lead to the capture of Gen. Palparan.

”We have good leads in the search of the general (Palparan). We want to make sure that Palparan will be captured the soonest possible time,” De Lima said.

”Because, pag lalo pang tumagal ito (search for Palparan), baka mas lalong lumabo,” De Lima added.

Malolos City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 14 Presiding Judge Teodora Gonzales has issued an arrest warrant against Palparan, Master Sgt. Rizal Hilario who is also at-large, and Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado and Staff Sgt. Edgardo Osorio for the charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention for the abduction of still missing University of the Philippines (UP) students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan.

Empeno and Cadapan were allegedly abducted in Hagonoy, Bulacan on June 26, 2006.

They have been missing since then. (PNA)

BI officers stops Ret. Gen. Palparan from leaving PHL

By Chiara Zambrano, ABS-CBN News

The Bureau of Immigration on Monday foiled retired major general Jovito Palparan’s attempt to leave the country after BI officers offloaded him from a plane bound for Singapore.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Palparan attempted to board a flight bound for Singapore at 7:30 a.m. today, but was offloaded by Bureau of Immigration officials because of existing watchlist orders against him.

These WLOs have already expired, but have not been lifted, said De Lima. Palparan tried to boards Sea Air flight DG7792 at the Clark International Airport.

The Department of Justice earlier said that they will hold Palparan accountable for the abduction of student-activists Karen Empano and Sheryl Cadapan in 2006.

De Lima said she finds Palparan’s attempt to leave the country suspicious, since Palparan earlier declared in news reports that he would not leave and would face all charges. She said the timing and Palparan’s choice of airport was “surreptitious.”

The DOJ panel of prosecutors, meanwhile, filed an urgent motion for the issuance of a hold departure order on Palparan. “He’s definitely a flight risk,” said De Lima. “I read in the papers that he said he wasn’t going to leave… and that he would face this case squarely. So ano yan?”

De Lima has asked the Solicitor General to immediately clarify issues regard the existing temporary restraining order on the DOJ’s power to issue hold departure orders, so as not to have the DOJ’s hands tied as regards “people or personalities that have the means capacity and opportunity to evade,” citing Palparan as a “perfect example.”

Meanwhile, Bayan Muna representatives Teddy Casiño and Neri Colmenares urged the Malolos regional trial court to immediately issue a new hold-departure order to ensure Palparan would not leave the country.

“Palparan was obviously lying through his teeth when he said that he was going to face the charges and now he tried to escape. The Malolos Regional Trial Court should immediately issue an arrest warrant against Palparan and throw him in jail right away,” said Casiño.

“Flight is a strong indication of guilt and he tried to do it on the day that his case is to be raffled. It must also be noted that with this move Palparan is following the footsteps of his patron Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with their foiled escape,” added Colmenares.

DOJ CHIEF DE LIMA LISTENS GRIEVANCES OF HOSTAGE SURVIVORS

Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila De Lima on Monday said that she is ready to listen to the grievances of the Hong Kong survivors and the families of the victims of the Manila hostage-taking incident.

The incident claimed the lives of eight Hong Kong tourists, including the hostage-taker himself dismissed Manila police Sr. Insp. Rolando Mendoza, in front of the Quirino Grandstand, in Luneta Park, Manila on Aug. 23, 2010.

De Lima made the assurance before her scheduled meeting on Monday afternoon with the said survivors and families of the victims.

The group led by Tse Chi-kin, a sibling of tour guide Masa Tse, arrived Sunday night at 8 p.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Aside from Tse, six other individuals will meet with De Lima, including a survivor, three relatives of the victims, a lawyer and an HKSAR local official.

However, De Lima said, they will not promise anything but will only report the actions taken by the Philippine government a year after the bloody incident.

The Hong Kong visitors on Monday morning visited the area of Intramuros, Manila.

It was in Intramuros, Manila where Mendoza commandeered the Hong Thai tourist bus loaded with the victims that ended up in a tragic hostage-taking incident a year ago. (pna)

DE LIMA ASSURES DOJ OPERATION WON’T BE AFFECTED BY BIG CUT IN PROPOSED 2012 BUDGET

Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila De Lima on Wednesday assured that the operation at the department will not be affected by the big cut in their proposed appropriations for next year.

De Lima made the assurance despite the big slash in the proposed DOJ budget for 2012 which they have submitted earlier to Malacanang Palace.

De Lima noted that included in the decreased DOJ fund are those for the rentals, advertisement, transportation, rewards and intelligence fund which was slashed by P223 million.

It was learned that the DOJ submitted an P18.5-billion proposed 2012 budget before the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), but only P9.7 billion was approved by the House of Representatives.

De Lima said that they understand the cost-cutting measures being implemented by the government.

Hence, De Lima said that they are now formulating plans and measures in order to cope up and be effective despite the decreased DOJ budget. (pna)