De Lima proposes ‘superbody’ vs extrajudicial slays

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has proposed the creation of a high-level inter-agency body to monitor investigations involving cases of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture.

On Thursday, De Lima said she came up with the idea of creating a “superbody” against human rights violations following her recent visits to Washington and Geneva in Switzerland.

“This would produce better results and higher prosecution rates for this type of cases. It has been a common demand and proposal to create such a committee not only in the US but also in other United Nations bodies,” De Lima said.

De Lima said she has already sent an urgent memorandum to President Benigno Aquino III informing him about the proposed “superbody.” She said her proposal is currently being reviewed by the office of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa.

De Lima told the Palace it would be better if the inter-agency committee would be approved before the third anniversary of the November 23 Maguindanao massacre, where 58 people, most of them media workers, were killed in Ampatuan town.

“It’s more of the [superbody] monitoring and directing the investigation of cases [being done by different agencies],” De Lima said.

Currently, the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines each have their own human rights office. The DOJ, itself, has a special task force on extrajudicial killings headed by Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III.

De Lima discussed her proposal for the “superbody” against extrajudicial killings during a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing between the government and the Medical Action Group (MAG), with a £80,000 (P5.2 million) funding support from the British Embassy, to train investigators and prosecutors for a more effective and efficient investigation and prosecution of torture cases in the Philippines.

De Lima said the government has yet to come up with a final count of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in the Philippines, but said an adhoc technical working group tasked to come up with a database for this has already come up with a “working number” based on a newly-created “working definition” of an extrajudicial killing.

The training will be undertaken with funding from the British Embassy’s Human Rights and Democracy Program.

“This training will have a direct impact on the ability of our investigators and prosecutors to secure prosecution by improving the quality of evidence on alleged torture cases. This is in view of the fact that improper evaluation of evidence on alleged torture cases have often resulted in the rejection of evidence by the court,” said De Lima.

For her part, MAG Board of Trustees member Erlinda Senturia said: “The need to increase the capacity of investigators in handling evidence and prosecutors in evaluating physical and medical evidence represents recognition that effective and quality documentation of alleged torture cases can contribute mightily to reducing impunity in the Philippines and obtaining redress for torture victims.” — Mark Merueñas/RSJ, GMA News