Groups express disappointment over court's verdict on Jemboy slay
MANILA, Philippines — Rights groups and several individuals voiced their dissatisfaction with the Navotas Regional Trial Court (RTC) decision regarding the police officers implicated in the death of 17-year-old Jerhode "Jemboy" Baltazar.
On Tuesday, Navotas RTC Branch 286 convicted five of the six cops previously charged with murder over the shooting of Baltazar.
However, the court only imposed lighter penalties on the five police officers instead of the murder charges previously recommended by the Department of Justice.
RELATED: Explainer: Why were lighter penalties given to cops involved in Jemboy slay?
In a press conference with the Baltazar family on Wednesday, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said that Baltazar's case is a reflection of the country’s justice system as impunity still exists.
“Dapat ito ay isang sistema (criminal justice system) na kapag may mamamayan o institution, lalo na ang estado, na nakalabag sa karapatan ng mamamayan…'yung mamamayang iyon…'yung pamilya niya…ay dapat makatanggap ng hustisya,” she said.
(In a just criminal justice system, if citizens or institutions, particularly the state, violate the rights of individuals, there should be a mechanism to ensure that the affected citizens, their families, or the aggrieved party receive justice.)
“Hindi 'yung sa kabila ng karahasan at trahedya at napakatinding sakit sa puso na naranasan nila…ay dahil nabigo sila na makakuha ng hustisya sa mismong sistema na dapat maghahatid nito sa kanila,” she added.
(Despite the pain they went through, they couldn't get justice from the system that should have given it to them.)
Former Justice Secretary Leila De Lima also said that the court’s decision fell short in delivering justice for Baltazar.
“The light penalty for homicide imposed and only on one of the Navotas cops who shot and killed Jemboy Baltazar, with the others being merely slapped on the hand with illegal discharge of [a] firearm, does not convince us that justice has been served,” De Lima said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
In separate statements, rights group Karapatan Secretary-General Tinay Palabay and Free Legal Assistance Group Chairman Chel Diokno lamented the lighter penalties for the police officers.
“We grieve with the family of Jemboy and join their call for accountability. Indiscriminate killings by state agents will continue unless those responsible are punished with stiff penalties. Buhay ng tao ang pinaguusapan natin,” Diokno said in a post on X.
(We grieve with the family of Jemboy and join their call for accountability. Indiscriminate killings by state agents will continue unless those responsible are punished with stiff penalties. We are talking about human lives.)
“The lighter penalties on homicide, lesser offenses vs cops involved in the killing of Jemboy Baltazar show how the Philippine justice system perpetuates a climate of impunity, where authorities who commit crimes don’t fully answer for their wrongdoings,” Palabay also said in a post on X.
In another separate statement, the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) said that the accountability of police officers continues to be a “tedious challenge” in the Philippines.
“Victory feels hollow despite the conviction of one policeman in the case of Jerhode ‘Jemboy’ Baltazar because of how little the loss of life seems to be appreciated in our legal system,” NUPL’s statement read.
“The decision of the Navotas trial court, while well-grounded on facts and law, is difficult to accept when the Baltazar family not only lost a child and their whole future and when the policemen can go back to normal now and within the next six years,” it added.
On Tuesday, the Department of Justice said that they will “exhaust all legal remedies” and tap the Office of the Solicitor General to appeal Baltazar's case of Baltazar to the Court of Appeals.
RELATED: DOJ to pursue murder charges vs cops in Jemboy slay
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