EDC dismayed at DOJ panel's findings on top botanist's death

(Updated 2:08 p.m.) The Lopez-owned Energy Development Corp. (EDC) is dismayed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) fact-finding panel found them liable for reckless imprudence that resulted in the death of noted Filipino botanist Leonard Co and his two companions in Leyte last November. "We are surprised and dismayed at the reported results of the DOJ-NBI fact finding team," EDC Corporate Communications Manager Fernando Diaz de Rivera said in a statement issued late Thursday. EDC had hired Co, forest guard Sofronio Cortez, and guide Julius Borromeo to catalog plant species in the forests of Kananga for company's BINHI Program. The Philippine military said the three were killed in a crossfire when Army soldiers encountered suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in the area on Nov. 15, 2010. GMANews.TV tried contacting Co's sister Lily Austria for a comment on the DOJ panel's findings. Her cellphone, however, could not be reached. Co's parents Co Lian Seng and Emelina Legaspi had earlier appealed to President Benigno Aquino III for a speedy resolution of the case. Fact-finding panel On Thursday, the DOJ fact-finding panel cleared the military of any liability, citing ballistics report from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) which said that none of their firearms matched the bullets recovered from the bodies of the victims. The panel likewise faulted EDC for what happened because it supposedly failed to undertake "necessary precautions" despite being aware of the communist threat to the company premises. The firm, however, denied that it was remiss in protecting its employees. "EDC continues to be of the firm view that it adhered to its security protocols and coordinated with the military to protect its employees, consultants, and contractors," said de Rivera. He likewise said that EDC treated the three more than just employees. "Sofronio Cortez was a valued and loyal employee. Julius Borromeo and Leonard Co were not just contractors or consultants of EDC, they were our partners in our efforts to protect the environment," he said. De Rivera said the EDC has not yet reviewed a copy of the DOJ-NBI investigation report. He noted, however, that the EDC will continue to participate in the investigations to "shed light on what truly transpired." Deeper investigation Meanwhile, militants sought on Friday a deeper investigation into the death of Co and his companions. Umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said the report by the Justice Department "reeks of unsubstantiated conclusions, sloppy investigative work resulting to fantastic claims." "Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima should not approve the findings and recommendations and should look deeper into the case," Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said in a news release posted on Bayan's website. Reyes said the DOJ-NBI report "conveniently ignores" the testimonies of two survivors, none of whom said they saw any New People's Army rebels in the area at the time of the incident. — RSJ, GMANews.TV