DOJ to evaluate lumad teacher’s slay

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) is still gathering information on the killing of lumad volunteer teacher Chad Booc to determine if the Inter-Agency Committee on extrajudicial killings can conduct a separate probe on the case, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said yesterday.

Guevarra, who chairs the Administrative Order 35 Committee, said he could not yet give a definite answer on whether the task force could investigate the death of Booc.

“We’re still gathering more facts from the ground. We’ll evaluate if the case falls under the ambit of AO 35,” Guevarra said.

The committee is composed of the Presidential Human Rights Committee, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of National Defense, Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation.

The Office of the Ombudsman, Department of Foreign Affairs and the Commission on Human Rights serve as independent observers of the committee.

Booc was one of five persons killed in an alleged encounter with the military in Davao de Oro on Feb. 24.

An autopsy conducted by pathologist Raquel Fortun showed that Booc suffered multiple gunshot wounds in the trunk and right elbow.

He died from an injury to the spinal cord, which was reportedly torn, according to the autopsy report.