MANILA, Philippines — Human rights groups said the appointment of Jose Lorenzo Dela Rosa, whom they tagged as "search warrant factory judge", to the Court of Appeals, was an act of impunity in the deaths of activists killed in the "Bloody Sunday" raids in March 2021.
Manila regional trial court judge Dela Rosa has been promoted to the CA, based on the document shared by the Supreme Court Public Information Office on Monday night.
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But human rights groups pointed out that the judge issued search warrants in the Bloody Sunday raids and for the arrest of Tumandok leaders in December 2020. Service of the warrants in those cases led to deaths.
Rights alliance Karapatan said Dela Rosa issued the search warrants that led to the killing of BAYAN-Cavite coordinator Manny Asuncion and the arrests of Elizabeth Camoral and Esteban Mendoza in the "Bloody Sunday" raids in Calabarzon on March 7, 2021.
"His promotion exactly a year after the 'Bloody Sunday' raids is not merely impunity: it is rubbing salt on the wounds of those victimized by the search warrants he issued," Karapatan Deputy Secretary General Roneo Clamor said in a statement.
"It is a slap in the face of justice," Clamor said, adding the appointment was a "reward" for Dela Rosa's part in the raids and arrests.
The Department of Justice is currently conducting a preliminary investigation into the murder complaint filed against police officers over the killing of Asuncion.
Non-governmental organization Defend Southern Tagalog meanwhile said Dela Rosa "served a major part in approving 42 death warrants among 72 applied for by state forces on March 1 last year."
Activist groups have warned that warrants, some of which were later thrown out by courts, have been used for harassment and intimidation. In some cases, activists have been killed, with police saying they had violently resisted arrest.
They also raised concerns that Dela Rosa's appointment could affect cases related to the raids.
'Roving' warrants
Rights groups and lawyers pressed the Supreme Court to put safeguards against abuses in the implementation of search warrants that they said, were used to target activists and dissenters.
Among the cases raised to the SC are the arrests of trade union organizers and a journalist on Dec. 10, 2020 and the March 2021 raids.
Amid the mounting calls, the SC issued Rules on the Use of Body-Worn Cameras that direct law enforcers to wear at least two recording devices when implementing arrest and search warrants.
The SC rules, made public July 2021, also limited the authority of Manila and Quezon City executive and vice executive judges to issue search warrants outside their jurisdiction, an authority that progressive groups claimed had been weaponized against activists. — Kristine Joy Patag