Poe, Pimentel oppose arming prosecutors

SENATORS Grace Poe and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel were lukewarm to the proposal to allow them from criminals or hired killers.

Poe recently sought an inquiry into the killings of public prosecutors nationwide to determine if there is a need to improve the protection of the members of the State’s prosecutorial arm.

“While I condemn the killings of our prosecutors, I have reservations in the suggested solution of arming them,” she said.

“I have always maintained that increasing the capabilities of our law enforcement institutions in terms of detection, investigation and prosecution remains to be the better option in addressing the rising criminality incidence,” she added. “We cannot possibly propose to arm every sector that has become the target of criminals as our way forward.”

Pimentel noted that the proliferation of loose enforcers nationwide.

- legal. Dadagdagan pa natin ngayon (And yet we still intend to add more),” he said in a radio interview.

Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs and the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

She noted that public prosecutors under the Department of Justice’s National Prosecution Service are mandated to assist the DoJ secretary in the investigation and prosecution of criminal offenses.

“Our public prosecutors, thus, play a crucial role as they determine who the State should prosecute. They are given a broad discretion to determine whether probable cause exists and to charge those whom they believe to have commit held for trial,” Poe said.

“Obviously, due to the nature of their sworn duty and mandate, our public prosecutors are clearly constantly within the crosshairs of the most notorious, dangerous and evil- minded personalities in the country who they ought to ptosecute,” she said.

Last year, at least six public prosecutors Prosecutor Reymund Luna (September 29), Mati City Prosecutor Rolando Acido (October 26), ( January 11), Caloocan Asst. City Prosecutor Diosdado Azarcon ( May 22), Rizal Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Maria Ronatay (July 18), and Mandaluyong City Prosecutor Pablito Gahol (September 3).

Rogelio Velasco.

“Due to the above-mentioned killings of our public prosecutors whose lives are constantly in danger from the devious acts of the very criminals ore to show our countrymen that it can and it will protect the lives of those working for the government,” Poe said.