The spouse of slain labor chief Manny Asuncion on Thursday filed a movement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) asking it to rethink its dismissal of her criticism in opposition to the 17 policemen allegedly concerned in her husband’s dying.
Last week, a panel of the DOJ dismissed the criticism filed by Liezl, Asuncion’s spouse, in opposition to the 17 policemen for “insufficiency of evidence.”
“Complainant respectfully prays of this Honorable Office that the assailed resolution be set aside and a new one issued finding probable cause, indicting the respondents for murder,” the 27-page movement learn.
The movement argued that the cops dedicated homicide as they acted with treachery and abuse of superior power, evident premeditation, and conspired with each other.
“Indeed, Manny was targeted pursuant to a virtual kill list under COPLAN ASVAL. As the implementers of this police operation, all of the respondents must be held accountable for Manny’s untimely and brutal killing,” the movement mentioned.
“The circumstances surrounding the case show clear conspiracy and evident premeditation. The fact is that nine unarmed activists were summarily killed on the same date and almost the same time, within minutes of purportedly serving the search warrant issued by the same Vice-Executive Judges of the same court, on the exact same charges,” it added.
Meanwhile, it mentioned that the respondents supplied solely basic denial and alibi by stating that they had been solely designated as perimeter safety, investigators, and supervisors whereas some mentioned they weren’t current through the implementation.
The movement additional said that there could be no presumption of regularity.
Meanwhile, the movement mentioned that optimistic identification can nonetheless be accomplished regardless of the absence of eyewitness or direct proof and that the proof on report is sufficient to discover possible trigger to indict the respondents for homicide.
In dismissing Liezl’s earlier criticism, the DOJ mentioned the proof submitted didn’t discharge the duty to show the existence of against the law and determine the perpetrators.
Thus, it mentioned that there could be no possible trigger to cost the respondents.
To reply this, the movement cited the Supreme Court which mentioned that extra-judicial killings “should be resolved with a more circumspect analysis of the incidental factors surrounding the same, take for instance the actual or likely presence of the persons charged at the place and time when the killing was committed, the manner in which the victim was executed… the possibility that victim should have been easily empowered by his assailants.”
“Thus, Complainant begs to disagree with the earlier findings that the circumstantial evidence is broken and incomplete,” the motion read.
“It is Complainant’s humble submission that the circumstantial evidence, when taken altogether and following the guidelines laid down by jurisprudence in analyzing EJKs, inevitably point to the Respondents, who acted in conspiracy with one another, as the persons responsible,” it added.
LOOK: Militanteng grupo, nagkilos-protesta sa labas ng DOJ sa Maynila para manawayan ng hustisya sa mga napatay na labor leader sa “Bloody Sunday” | via @luisitosantos03 pic.twitter.com/b9Fa3IjWQO
— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) January 26, 2023
Meanwhile, group Bayan Timong Katagalugan also held a protest before the DOJ to call for justice for those who died in the Bloody Sunday in 2021.
According to Luisito Santos’ report on Super Radyo dzBB, Bayan Timog Katagalugan spokesperson Kyle Salgado said they are seeking justice for the deaths of the labor leaders who died in March 2021.
At least nine activists were killed while six others were arrested after police authorities conducted simultaneous police operations in Calabarzon. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
