DOJ: No hospital arrest for Andal Ampatuan Jr.
11/28/2009 | 12:18 PM
Saying it will not allow such a "fad," the Department of Justice (DOJ) rejected Saturday suggestions to have a key suspect in last Monday’s Maguindanao massacre placed under hospital arrest.
Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said there is no compelling reason to give Datu Unsay, Maguindanao town mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. such a privilege.
“Di basta nakikiuso ang nakakulong, hospital arrest. Ipapasuri natin yan kung yan pwede ma-hospital arrest, kung kailangan niya ang pagpapaospital (We will not go with the fad of hospital arrest. We will have him examined first if there is need for a hospital arrest)," Devanadera said on government-run dzRB radio.
Other high-profile suspects have implored hospital arrest in the past. Recently, the prime suspect in the Rose Barrameda slay, Manuel Jimenez II, sought hospital arrest over his ailements. Similar reasons were cited by Jaime Paule, the alleged Malacañang liaison officer in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam in February.
Ampatuan was arrested Thursday and detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) head office in Manila.
On Friday, the mayor’s lawyer claimed he was having trouble breathing inside the detention cell supposedly because it was small and hot.
But hours earlier, NBI counter-terrorism unit head lawyer Ricardo Diaz said a routine checkup of Ampatuan showed he had no major medical condition except for a history of asthma.
Devanadera also pointed out President Arroyo had ordered her and Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno to make sure there are “no sacred cows" in the investigation.
“Ang overall direction (The overall direction is), no sacred cows. The entire government machinery must work towards attainment of justice," she recalled Mrs. Arroyo telling them during a meeting Friday.
The Ampatuans are considered allies of the Arroyo administration, and were “credited" for President Arroyo’s victory there in the 2004 presidential race.
They were also “credited" for the 12-0 victory of Mrs. Arroyo’s senatorial candidates in the 2007 elections.
“Ang operational decision kami na magdedesisyon noon. Ang overall direction (We were given blanket authority on operational decisions. The overall direction is), bring whoever is responsible for this behind bars," Devanadera said.
Meanwhile, Devanadera appealed to media and other entities that may have custody of witnesses in the massacre to turn them over to her department.
“Para makatulong sa paghahanap ng hustisya, kailangan turnover sila o information ninyo sa kinauukulan. Ang DOJ sangay ng gobyerno nangunguna para madala ang kaso sa judicial system natin. Sana naman ang nakukuha ninyong witnesses at nakakalap ninyong information, huwag manatilihin sa level ng propaganda (The DOJ is the government branch tasked to solve this crime. We hope the witnesses they get will be turned over to us and not be used for propaganda)," she said. - JHU, TJD, GMANews.TV
Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said there is no compelling reason to give Datu Unsay, Maguindanao town mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. such a privilege.
“Di basta nakikiuso ang nakakulong, hospital arrest. Ipapasuri natin yan kung yan pwede ma-hospital arrest, kung kailangan niya ang pagpapaospital (We will not go with the fad of hospital arrest. We will have him examined first if there is need for a hospital arrest)," Devanadera said on government-run dzRB radio.
Other high-profile suspects have implored hospital arrest in the past. Recently, the prime suspect in the Rose Barrameda slay, Manuel Jimenez II, sought hospital arrest over his ailements. Similar reasons were cited by Jaime Paule, the alleged Malacañang liaison officer in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam in February.
Ampatuan was arrested Thursday and detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) head office in Manila.
On Friday, the mayor’s lawyer claimed he was having trouble breathing inside the detention cell supposedly because it was small and hot.
But hours earlier, NBI counter-terrorism unit head lawyer Ricardo Diaz said a routine checkup of Ampatuan showed he had no major medical condition except for a history of asthma.
Devanadera also pointed out President Arroyo had ordered her and Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno to make sure there are “no sacred cows" in the investigation.
“Ang overall direction (The overall direction is), no sacred cows. The entire government machinery must work towards attainment of justice," she recalled Mrs. Arroyo telling them during a meeting Friday.
The Ampatuans are considered allies of the Arroyo administration, and were “credited" for President Arroyo’s victory there in the 2004 presidential race.
They were also “credited" for the 12-0 victory of Mrs. Arroyo’s senatorial candidates in the 2007 elections.
“Ang operational decision kami na magdedesisyon noon. Ang overall direction (We were given blanket authority on operational decisions. The overall direction is), bring whoever is responsible for this behind bars," Devanadera said.
Meanwhile, Devanadera appealed to media and other entities that may have custody of witnesses in the massacre to turn them over to her department.
“Para makatulong sa paghahanap ng hustisya, kailangan turnover sila o information ninyo sa kinauukulan. Ang DOJ sangay ng gobyerno nangunguna para madala ang kaso sa judicial system natin. Sana naman ang nakukuha ninyong witnesses at nakakalap ninyong information, huwag manatilihin sa level ng propaganda (The DOJ is the government branch tasked to solve this crime. We hope the witnesses they get will be turned over to us and not be used for propaganda)," she said. - JHU, TJD, GMANews.TV
