MANILA, Philippines- Hiniling ng asawa ng labor leader na si Emmanuel Asuncion sa Department of Justice (DOJ) nitong Huwebes na baligtarin ang pagbasura sa inihain niyang murder complaint laban sa 17 pulis sa pagkamatay ng kanyang asawa noong 2021.
Sa petition for review, inihirit ni Liezl sa DOJ na isantabi ang July resolution ng prosecutors, na ibinasura ang kanyang motion for reconsideration sa pagbasura sa murder complaint.
“Petitioner respectfully prays [to] this Honorable Office that the assailed joint resolution dated July 6, 2023 be set aside and a new one be issued granting the motion for inhibition and finding probable cause to indict respondents for the murder of Emmanuel ‘Ka Manny’ Asuncion,” anito.
Isa si Asuncion sa siyam na aktibistang napatay noong March 7, 2021, nang magsagawa ang mga pulis ng simultaneous police operations sa Calabarzon, na kalaunan ay tinawag na ”Bloody Sunday” raids.
Noong Enero, ibinasura ng panel of prosecutors ang reklamo ni Liezl dahil sa kakulangan ng ebidensya, dahilan upang maghain siya ng motion for reconsideration.
Subalit, hindi rin pinaboran ng prosecutors ang kanyang apela dahil sa lack of merit.
Sinabi ng panel na dahil ang kalakip na dokumento ng kanyang mosyon ay hindi bahagi ng initial complaint, ang mga ito ay walangm”material bearing anymore” sa punto ng proceedings.
Paliwanag ni Liezl, hindi niya naisumite ang ebidensya sa inisyal na reklamo dahil nakuha lamang niya ito noong naisumite na para sa resolusyon ang kaso.
“Petitioner cannot be faulted for not having immediate access to these documents. In fact, it is unreasonable, even inconsiderate, to expect this of the victim’s grieving spouse, who is neither an investigating prosecutor nor a law enforcement authority,” saad sa petisyon.
“Moreover, the panel’s treatment of the document as newly discovered evidence is erroneous, given that [it was] submitted in relation to a mere motion for reconsideration in a preliminary investigation and not before a court after trial,” dagdag nito.
Iginiit din sa petisyon ang pagsasabwatan umano sa pagitan ng pe respondents, at sinabing isinagawa ang operasyon sa paraang makikita ang intensyong pumatay.
“To reiterate, the CHR Region IV-A concluded not only that there was no firefight between Ka Manny and respondents but also that the purported search and seizure is irregular on account of the absence of any of the lawful occupants during the alleged search,” saad pa rito.
“Without any credible evidence of Ka Manny’s possession of firearms and ammunition, the respondents trite nanlaban narrative is unsubstantiated.”
“This preliminary investigation is not the proper venue to rule on the respondents guilt or innocence, as only a trial will allow a full assessment of their case,” ayon pa sa petisyon. RNT/SA
