DOJ records refute Mangudadatu lawyer's claim vs ex-prosecutors

Nena Santos, the lawyer for Maguindanao Gov. Esmael "Toto' Mangudadatu, had claimed that the former Department of Justice prosecutors assigned to the high-profile Ampatuan massacre case were not officially designated to the case at all. But records obtained from the DOJ would show that the prosecutors have been assigned to the case as early as 2009, during the time of former Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera. Incumbent Justice Secretary Leila de Lima recently removed six of the 12 public prosecutors, including the team's head, Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon. De Lima made the move because of the public prosecutors' growing rift with Santos, a private prosecutor a former classmate of De Lima's at the San Beda Law School. Those who were removed were prosecutors Fadullon, Juan Pedro Navera, Irwin Maraya, Rosanne Balauag, Karla Cabel, and Amanda Felipe. Last Wednesday, Santos claimed that it was only fitting that the six prosecutors be removed from the panel because they were not authorized to handle the trial. Santos likewise claimed she had learned earlier that there was no order designating the prosecutors to the case. What DOJ records show But records obtained by GMA News Online from the DOJ would show the dates that the prosecutors have been officially assigned to the case. On Nov. 25, 2009, two days after the gruesome massacre, Devanadera issued Department Order No. 935 designating two teams of prosecutors to the case. Balauag was among the first team. On Jan. 4, 2010, Devanadera issued Department Order No. 034 revamping the panel of prosecutors. Navera and Maraya were assigned to the panel. On July 8, 2010, then newly-appointed Justice chief De Lima changed the composition of the panel and named Fadullon as head, with Felipe and Cabel included in the trial support team. Navera and Maraya were still part of the main prosecuting team led by Fadullon. A day later, on July 9, De Lima added Balauag to the panel once again. Just last March 9, 2011, De Lima removed Fadullon, Navera, Maraya, Balauag, Cabel, and Felipe from the team. She replaced them with DOJ Undersecretary Francisco Baraan II, Assistant Regional State Prosecutor Peter Medalle, Assistant State Prosecutors Amor Robles, Nestor Lazaro, Romeo Martin Serenilla, and Assistant City Prosecutor Liezel Morales. — RSJ/KBK, GMA News