DOJ ready for Maute trial

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) is all set for the transfer of the trial and detention of arrested members and supporters of the Maute terror group from Cagayan de Oro to Taguig City.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said he has coordinated with officer-in-charge Catalino Cuy of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for compliance with the Supreme Court order for the transfer of criminal cases to the Taguig regional trial court and detention at the Special Intensive Care Area at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig from Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City.

Aguirre said Cuy had told him the two courtrooms at Camp Bagong Diwa are ready.

Camp Bagong Diwa is under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), an attached agency of the DILG.

Aguirre said the DOJ will create new panels of prosecutors to handle the rebellion cases.

“Our Manila prosecutors will undergo seminars on continuous trial system,” he said.

Aguirre cited the suggestion of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno during their meeting last month to apply the continuous trial system so as to expedite the resolution of the Maute cases.

Under the continuous trial system, postponements of hearings are not allowed unless on exceptional grounds. The courts are directed to promulgate the decision not later than 90 days from the submission of the case for decision.

Under the same procedure, the trial of cases will be held from Monday to Thursday starting at 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and then at 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In its order released last Tuesday, the SC directed the Taguig court to “speedily act on all prosecutions and incidents arising from the violent incidents in Marawi City involving the Maute group.”

The SC explained Camp Bagong Diwa is a “temporary detention facility,” as it ordered the BJMP to expedite the relocation of the suspects to a suitable detention facility.

The DOJ earlier asked the SC to designate special courts in Luzon or the Visayas to hear the cases, citing the threat in Mindanao, which remains under martial law.

The SC instead decided to designate the Cagayan de Oro RTC as special courts to take over the cases from the Marawi courts.

The SC also assigned the military’s Camp Evangelista in the same city to serve as detention place of the arrested suspects.

But after inspection, Aguirre appealed the order due to lack of proper detention facilities in Camp Evangelista and the security threats against judges and prosecutors.

Pending action of the SC, prosecutors sought suspension of proceedings in the cases against the Maute terrorists before the Cagayan de Oro RTC.

The SC granted the DOJ’s appeal in ordering the transfer of the cases to Taguig.