DOJ checks new Vizconde probe lead

MANILA, Philippines –  A Department of Justice (DOJ) task force tapped to reinvestigate the 1991 Vizconde massacre will verify the statements of a Filipino woman in Australia who claimed that her former husband and his friends were involved in the crime, Secretary Leila de Lima said yesterday.

“The task force is obliged to look into all of these leads. We can never ignore any information or lead in this reinvestigation,” she said during a press conference.

The STAR reported that Christian Faust, a veteran criminologist from Australia, said “Ms. X” told Australian authorities in her application for protection visa that her ex-husband and his friends from a drug ring – she described them as “sons of politicians” with powerful connections – were “involved in the Vizconde massacre.”

The DOJ has only until June 29 to file new charges in connection with the massacre.