MILITANT groups on Tuesday scored former Justice secretary Leila De Lima for failing to fulfill her promise to bring justice to indigenous people in Mindanao, called lumad, who have been killed or driven out of their homes in eastern Mindanao.
“That’s the tagline of her campaign, ‘justice without fear or favor,’ but where is the justice?” asked Kharlo Manano, secretary-general of the rights group Salinlahi.
Manano recalled that in a meeting with leaders of lumad communities last September, De Lima promised to issue a legal opinion on paramilitary groups claiming to be indigenous self-defense forces as well as the military presence in schools.
De Lima had promised to file criminal cases against the militiamen who allegedly shot dead school headmaster Emerito Samarca, lumad leader Dionel Campos and his cousin Bello Sinzo in Lianga, Surigao del Sur last September.
“With the justice system in our country, the slow-paced action of the Justice secretary even contributes to the elusiveness in getting the justice that lumads deserve,” Manano added.
One of the people who met with De Lima last September, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary-general Renato Reyes, said De Lima should make an effort to fulfill her promise to bring justice to the lumad.
“[De Lima] knew the people she appointed in her task force. Even if she’s no longer there, even if she’s no longer in her former capacity, she made a commitment to the lumad,” Reyes said.
“We at least least expect her to follow up on the cases. Hindi yung mananahimik na lang siya [she shouldn’t just shut up] because she’s running for senator,” Reyes said.
Reyes said many communities in Surigao and other parts of Mindanao continue to be militarized and that in itself is a “continuing injustice” against the lumad.
“We also fear that there can be disenfranchisement [of voters because] how can they vote, if they cannot return to their communities? There will be an atmosphere of fear in their areas. Their right to suffrage will be affected because of the ongoing militarization,” he said.
Meantime, Justice Secretary Emmanuel Caparas declined to answer questions about the status of its investigation of Mamasapano massacre that involved that killing of 44 police commandos in Maguindanao in January 2015.
“Let’s not talk about that please,” Caparas told reporters, raising suspicions that the DOJ is dilly-dallying on the case so as not to antagonize the Muslim community, particularly the votes that the administration ticket may get in the May 9 general elections.
Last January, Caparas announced that the Mamasapano case will be resolved in three to four weeks.
In February, Prosecutor General Claro Arellano said the resolution on the preliminary investigation against 90 individuals would probably be released by March because it is still subject to review.
Caparas made the same assurance that the resolution will be released by March.
However, on Tuesday’s press conference, the Justice Secretary begged off from answering question on the Mamasapano case.
Earlier, Caparas appealed to the public for understanding saying that the panel needs to carefully study the evidence collected in the course of the investigation to ensure an airtight case against the respondents.
When sought why he could not talk about the Mamasapano case, Caparas said: “I am not going to answer that question. I am really sorry.”
During the last day of the preliminary investigation, State Prosecutor Alexander Suarez, a member of the investigating panel, said the complaint is submitted for resolution after the NBI manifested that it would no longer file a reply-affidavit on the counter-affidavits filed by only four of the 90 respondents.
“Out of the 90 respondents, only four respondents submitted their counter-affidavits and this case is now being submitted for resolution. We terminate the preliminary investigation,” the prosecutor said.