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Remulla mulls obstruction raps vs POGO raid witnesses refusing to testify

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Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN News/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/04/04/20230403-pnp-task-force-degamo-briefing-jc1125.jpg"/><figcaption>Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla during a press conference at the PNP Media Center in Camp Crame in Quezon City on April 3, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Wednesday said he would look into the possibility of filing perjury and obstruction of justice raps against witnesses who later refuse to testify, following the experience in the human trafficking raid on a POGO compound in Las Piñas last month.Remulla had criticized the police raid for having been done without coordination with the DOJ and for supposedly lacking sufficient bases and evidence.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/10/23/doj-hits-pnp-anti-trafficking-raid-suspects-released-for-further-probe">DOJ hits police&#x27;s anti-trafficking raid; suspects released for further investigation</a></li></ul>The Philippine National Police admitted that one of the challenges in bringing cases in court against 5 Chinese suspects was the refusal of witnesses to later testify against those behind the online scam operations once were rescued, despite initially providing information to the court that issued the search warrants. “Ang problema nga, nasa ayos na sila, nawala na yung tingin nila na danger sa kanilang mga buhay, o kaya yung kanilang takot ay nawala na, ayaw na nilang tumestigo. Eh sa batas natin, perjury yun at obstruction of justice,” Remulla said.(The problem is once they&#x27;re okay, their perception of danger, their fear went away, so they no longer wanted to testify. Under our laws, that&#x27;s perjury and obstruction of justice.)Perjury, as punished under the Revised Penal Code, refers to willfully making a false statement on a material matter before a person competent to administer an oath, if done for a legal purpose.Obstruction of justice, on the other hand, includes giving false or fabricated information to mislead or prevent law enforcers from arresting the offender. It also includes soliciting or accepting any benefit to abstain from the prosecution of a criminal offender.Remulla said the witnesses’ refusal to testify hampers the prosecution of cases, as in the case in Las Piñas where they had to order the release of the 5 Chinese suspects while they undergo preliminary investigation.“Ang problema diyan, pagka nawawala ang testigo, anong gagawin ng piskal? They release for further investigation. Kaya ngayon dapat magkaintindihan talaga, ngayon kakausapin namin ang mga piskal na wag na pumayag, na kung mayroon man silang mga salitang binitawan dati at pinirmahan, ay panagutin na sila sa salita nila,” he said.“Yun ang problema eh, tumestigo na, nagreklamo ka, may kaso na tapos pag pwede na umuwi, gusto mo na umuwi, ayaw mo nang tumestigo. E di nabitin lahat,” he added.(The problem there is if a witness disappears, what will the prosecutor do? They release for further investigation. We will take to prosecutors that if witnesses agree to testify and they signed something, they should be held accountable. The problem is you complained, there&#x27;s a case, but once you went home, you no longer wanted to testify. So everything is left hanging.)<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/29/22/remulla-orders-nbi-to-stop-operations-vs-pogos">After ‘huli-dap’ reports, Remulla orders NBI to stop operations vs POGOs</a></li></ul>The Justice chief said this has happened several times in the past, citing his previous directive for the National Bureau of Investigation to desist from its POGO operations.“Kaya nung araw pa, noong unang pasok namin dito noong isang taon pa, pinagbawal ko nang mahigpit ang pagkilos ng NBI sa mga POGO cases...Kasi nga sa dinadami dami na ginawang rescue na ginawa ng NBI noong araw, kahit ni isang kaso, walang natira. Pag natapos na ang pagrescue, walang kaso. E di anong mangyayari sa gobyerno natin? Parang pinagtatawanan lang tayo na wala tayong sistemang matibay sa pagpatulugsa ng krimen,” he said.(That&#x27;s why a year ago, I disallowed NBI from moving against POGOs. Because out of the numerous rescues that the NBI did, there isn&#x27;t even any case left. Our government becomes a laughingstock because we don&#x27;t have a sturdy system of running after crimes.)&quot;Kaya ngayon siguraduhin na natin na kapag mayroon na tayong nirescue, pinag-usapan namin ng ACG (Anti-Cybercrime Group). Kinakailangan surveillance information, intelligence para kapag kumilos, alam natin yung pakay ng pagkilos,” he added.(We need to ensure that if we do rescues, we need surveillance information, intelligence so when we take action, we know the goal.)The DOJ recently issued a department circular that requires prosecutors and law enforcers to coordinate any operation regarding certain cases such as human trafficking. But this was not supposedly followed in the Las Piñas raid.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/04/23/doj-requires-prosecutors-to-take-active-role-in-case-build-up">New DOJ circular requires prosecutors to take &#x27;active role&#x27; in case build-up</a></li></ul>Remulla is set to meet with the leadership of the Philippine National Police ACG on Friday.Of some 2,000 individuals “rescued” in the June 26 raid in Las Piñas, around 1,000 are still in the POGO facility.“DOJ policy na yan kasi dapat itigil na yung ganitong rescue tapos release parang walang nangyari. Napakalaking gastos ito sa gobyerno, hindi madali ito. Eh ilan yang pinapakain namin sa araw araw na kailangan pakainin kapag ginawa itong bagay na ito. Isang libong tao ang pinapakain mo, eh government funds yan. Dapat yan talaga, accountable lahat tayo,” he said.(It&#x27;s a DOJ policy that we stop these rescues followed by release, as if nothing happened. That&#x27;s too costly. We are feeding them every day, P1,000 people, using government funds. We should all be accountable for that.)Meanwhile, the 5 Chinese suspects are facing possible non-bailable human trafficking charges.Their lawyer however complained that they are still in the Las Piñas POGO compound, despite the release order dated July 3 issued by the DOJ panel of prosecutors allowing their release pending the conduct of the preliminary investigation. Remulla said he has yet to receive information on this matter but will look into the issue.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2716894" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Justice Sec. Remulla is mulling obstruction of justice raps against witnesses who would refuse to testify. 

Remulla mulls obstruction raps vs POGO raid witnesses refusing to testify

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Remulla mulls obstruction raps vs POGO raid witnesses refusing to testify

Mike Navallo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 12, 2023 03:29 PM PHT

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Jesus Crispin Remulla

Department of Justice

DOJ

POGO

POGO raid

human trafficking

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