NUPL slams gov’t laxity in handling Maguindanao massacre
The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) all over the country lambasted the government for its carelessness in handling evidences on the brutal killings in Maguindanao with 57 dead bodies recovered as of press time.
Bayan Muna party-list Representative Neri Colmenares, secretary general of NUPL, said in a press conference here in Iloilo that they will be more watchful in the investigation process on the Maguindanao massacre since they already found lapses on the part of the government in handling the evidences.
He cited the use of backhoe in recovering the dead bodies which is foul since it disrupted other evidences that should be recovered like bullets and others.
Colmenares also said the authorities did not even bother to place a yellow line in order to preserve the crime scene.
“The police did not even bother to place simple yellow line which is the primary activity of the forensic experts to preempt anybody who are not allowed from entering the area in order to preserve the crime scene,” he explained.
Colmenares said their group found out that the authorities are incompetent in gathering evidences which could be used by the accused in winning their case.
Further, Colmenares stressed that filing the case with Andal Ampatuan as the only accused shows that the government is being impartial in handling the case.
“It is very impossible for one person alone to kill those 57 individuals and this will be exactly used by the accused to their advantage to dismiss the case later on,” he stressed.
Colmenares further said that three cases which include criminal, civil and administrative should be filed not only to the Ampatuans but as well as to the provincial government for graft cases by using public funds, and for military and police who tolerated the presence of armed men in their area and who refused to give security to the victims.
He added that his group will offer free services to the victims as they keep a tight watch over the process of investigation.
Colmenares was here in Iloilo together with his 29 other colleagues all over the country last November 28, 2009 to condemn the brutal killings in Maguindanao since two of their colleagues died in the said incident.
The two were identified as Atty. Concepcion Brizuela and Atty. Cynthia Oquendo who according to the group of Colmenares have been active in advocating for good governance and peace in their area in Mindanao.
