MANILA: President Aquino ordered yesterday Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to conduct a focused, dedicated and exhaustive investigation into the disappearance of activist Jonas Burgos.
De Lima directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to create a special team to probe the enforced disappearance that the Court of Appeals has attributed to the military and police. Burgos has been missing for six years.
“The special team is directed to conduct a thorough and independent evaluation of all available information and evidence thus far gathered by various offices, including the Commission on Human Rights, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police (PNP),” she said..
The NBI was also instructed to pursue other possible leads, collect further evidence and take all other necessary steps to ferret out the truth and determine who may be criminally charged.
De Lima told reporters the pending Amparo case in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals does not involve liabilities of alleged perpetrators.
“We don’t have yet the whole truth about the disappearance of Jonas,” she said.
“This is why the Court of Appeals in its recently promulgated decision precisely directs pursuit of investigation and nothing in the said decision precludes a probe by the NBI.
“The President, as chief executor of laws, deems it best to assign the NBI to undertake a speedy, exhaustive and independent probe so as to obviate any suspicion of partiality or whitewash. The clear objective is to ferret out the truth and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Malacañang said military intelligence chief Brig Gen Eduardo Ao, one of main suspects, would not be placed under preventive suspension.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said part of the investigation will cover the forces and PNP.
“As chief executive of the country, as commander-in-chief, there is no doubt as to the cooperation of the hierarchy,” Lacierda added.
Lacierda said the public must avoid jumping to a conclusion and let the investigation run its course.
The Philippine Star
