DOJ not judges in Teves case – Remulla

MANILA, Philippines — Prosecutors of the Department of Justice are “not judges” to effectively pre-judge or inhibit themselves in the murder case against Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said yesterday.

Teves, through his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, filed an urgent motion to inhibit DOJ prosecutors from handling the Pamplona Massacre case, in which Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo was assassinated and nine others were killed.

Topacio had argued that no DOJ prosecutor could be unprejudiced in the investigation of the March 4 bloodbath when the justice chief himself had been issuing statements against the embattled lawmaker before media.

The DOJ prosecutors must excuse themselves from the case “because their boss, the Secretary of Justice, has been firm in claiming that Teves Jr. is the mastermind in the death of Degamo, even prior to the filing of the case,” he said.

Refuting the claim, Remulla told reporters: “We are not judges.”

Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano, spokesman for the DOJ, added: “We must afford the panel of prosecutors a free hand to the case under preliminary investigation.”

“The DOJ is not a judicial or quasijudicial body that performs judicial or quasijudicial functions,” he said.

In his motion, Teves wants the DOJ to turn over the case to the Office of the Ombudsman, saying the body should handle the preliminary investigation until its conclusion.

Topacio pointed out that Remulla, who supervises the prosecutors, has made a number of public pronouncements implying that Teves is already guilty.

In April, Remulla said the Negros Oriental lawmaker appears to be the main mastermind and “executive producer” behind Degamo’s assassination.

Topacio said that Teves, who has not yet returned to the Philippines since Degamo’s murder, may return to the Philippines if another government agency takes over the murder case against him.