Press Release
January 26, 2016

Sen. Marcos asks DoJ to explain to Senate delay in
filing raps vs. Mamasapano massacre suspects

Nothing prevents the Department of Justice from submitting a report to the Senate to explain the apparent delay in filing charges in court against those responsible for the death of 44 Special Action Force commandos in Mamasapano, Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. said today.

"The DoJ owes it to the family of the victims, and to the public in general, to explain why a year after that tragic incident no formal charges have been filed in court against those responsible," said Marcos.

"Even if they are not formally invited to testify in the Senate hearing they can simply submit to us a report on the status of the case so we can all know why it's taking them so long to file appropriate charges in court," he added.

Newly-appointed DoJ Acting Secretary Emmanuel Caparas earlier denied that the DoJ is sitting on the case and promised that a resolution will be out soon. Reports said the DoJ has concluded the preliminary investigation on the case last January 14.

Marcos said former Justice Secretary Leila De Lima and the National Bureau of Investigation should do the same to help the Senate identify possible snags that continue to hamper the progress of the case.

De Lima was the sitting DoJ secretary at the time of the Mamasapano massacre and the start of the investigation on the case. She later announced that charges will be filed in court against 90 suspects.

It could be recalled that in a letter dated January 20, 2016 addressed to Senator Grace Poe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Illegal Drugs, Marcos requested the panel to invite De Lima and NBI Director Atty. Virgilio Mendez to testify at the reopening of the Senate probe on the massacre.

However, Poe explained that since it was Minority Leader, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, who sought the reopening of the Senate probe they accorded him the prerogative of identifying the resource persons for the hearing.

Marcos vowed that no matter what happens in the Senate hearing he will continue to press the effort to give justice to the families of the SAF 44.

"Awarding posthumous medals to the SAF 44 may assuage the pain of their families but only justice will give them peace of mind and allow them to move on with their lives," he stressed.

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