DOJ to appeal court decision vs. cops in Jemboy Baltazar case

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to appeal the decision handed by the court against six former police officers involved in the death of 17-year-old Jemboy Baltazar.

In a media briefing with the parents of Baltazar, Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano said Remulla immediately called after the promulgation at the Navotas Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 286.

“Ang utos niya po sa akin, tignan po 'yung the facts of the case pati 'yung arguments na ginamit ng judge at tignan kung ano doon ang pwedeng i-apela,” Clavano said.

(He told me to look into the facts of the case and the arguments that was given to check what could be appealed.)

“Ang susunod natin na hakbang, ito ay ipela natin ang decision sa Court of Appeals (CA) gamit ang Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), ayun talaga ang magiging abogado from here on out,” he added.

(Our next move is to appeal the decision before the Court of Appeals through the Office of the Solicitor General. They will be the lawyers from here on out.)

Of the six former cops charged with murder, the Navotas court found one guilty of homicide and four others guilty of illegal discharge of firearms. The other one, meanwhile, was acquitted by the court.

According to Clavano, though they respect the decision of the court, they found that many arguments in the decision could be appealed.

“Marami po tayong nakitang mga areas or arguments doon sa decision na pwede pa din natin i-argue on appeal. Isa na po diyan 'yung conspiracy, 'yung isa din 'yung intent to kill, the reasonableness of the action taken by the police, and the reaction that the police had nung medyo patakas si Jemboy no,” he said.

(We saw many areas or arguments that could be appealed. One of them is conspiracy, the other is the intent to kill, the reasonableness of the action taken by the police, and their reaction when Jemboy was seemingly escaping.)

“Kaya natin ia-appeal doon sa CA dahil sa tingin natin, magkaiba po 'yung interpretation po natin,” he later added.

(That’s why we will appeal this before the CA because we have a different interpretation.)

The court ruling, meanwhile, was met with disappointment from Baltazar’s family.

“Sa amin po dito sa DOJ, siguro, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family dahil hindi po natin alam kung ano 'yung pinagdaanan nila. So we will be with them,” he said.

Clavano also said that the DOJ will continue to protect Baltazar’s family. 

“We hope na through the protection ng witness protection program, patuloy pa rin magiging isang instrumental or vital way that we can protect the welfare and safety of the parents of Jemboy, that we can preserve the case and make sure that even on appeal, we are able present the case as best as possible,” he said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News