The Department of Justice (DOJ on Thursday gave assurance that the prosecutors’ decision to charge six suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) for the death of a nine-year-old girl and for acts of terrorism was based on evidence.
“The gross travesty here is that a nine-year-old child was stripped of her future,” Justice Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano IV said in a text message.
“We only go where the evidence takes us,” Clavano stressed.
The DOJ’s panel of prosecutors earlier ruled that “respondents Isagani Isita a.k.a. Yano/Toyang/Sid/Ron/Sikad/Jamir/Arkin/Zhuge; Junalice Arante-Isita a.k.a Juna/Irene/Erin/Arya/Fabian; Mariano Bico a.ka. Nick/Jim/Adonis/Melay; Gilbert Orr a.k.a. Nash/Jade/Art, a.k.a. Joey/Elon/Edel/Analinda/Jorel/Jonas and a.k.a. Ching/Marcel/Allen/Jane/Daniel were indicted for Murder under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended, and for violation of Section 4(a) and 4(d) of Republic Act No. 11479, otherwise known as the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.”
The DOJ said the criminal charges will be filed before the Batangas Regional Trial Court.
The DOJ prosecutors found evidence that the suspects were involved in an encounter with members of the Philippine Army on July 18, 2022 in Sitio Amatong, Barangay Ginhawa in Taysan, Batangas that resulted in injuries to one of the soldiers and in the death of a nine-year old child.”
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) countered however, that it was the soldiers who killed the child.
The CPP, in a statement issued by its chief information officer Marco Valbuena, denounced what it called a “blatant cover-up of the crime of the 59th IB in the killing of nine-year-old Kyllene Casao last July 18, 2022 in Batangas.
Contrary to its name, the DOJ is committing a gross travesty of justice.”
“Instead of filing charges against the officers and men involved in the indiscriminate firing which led to the death of Casao, the DOJ plans to file charges against six people who are being linked to the CPP and New People’s Army (NPA),” Valbuna’s statement also said.
Reacting to Valbuena’s statement, Clavano said; “The evidence we have now point at those CPP-NPA members against whom we will be filing cases.”
Clavano dared the insurgents to bring their case to the court.
“They can take their statements to court and present their supporting evidence to prove what they are saying is true,” he said.
“If what they are fighting for is their ideology, let’s do it like civilized people. Bring them out through the proper channels,” he added.
Case records showed that the encounter in Taysan led to the arrest of the suspects and recovery of various firearms, ammunition, explosives, and subversive materials.
“While it may appear that the murder victim was not the direct target of herein respondents and was just caught in the line of fire when the respondents fired upon the members of the Philippine Army, her death clearly was the result of the unlawful acts perpetrated by the respondents,” the DOJ said, citing the resolution of the panel of prosecutors.
“Probable cause was likewise found for violation of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020,” it said.
The DOJ pointed out that the use of high-powered firearms “seriously endangered the lives of the members of the Philippine Army and consummated in injury and death” and “intended to cause a disproportionate amount of damage or harm of sufficient magnitude.”
“The acts of respondents were calculated to seriously undermine public safety and to create an atmosphere of fear,” it said.