POLICE OFFICERS who are facing charges over the death of 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz have been given by the Department of Justice (DoJ) more time to file their affidavits and additional witness statements.

In yesterday’s hearing, the DoJ granted the cops’ request for an extension to file on Nov. 10, a decision that was denounced by Public Attorneys’ Office (PAO) Chief Persida V. Rueda-Acosta as “highly unprocedural.”

“We can sense an unending preliminary investigation on this case,” Ms. Acosta said.

“There’s already a commitment last time for both parties of the panel this will be the last for the counter-manifestation. And here comes, they are producing witnesses which have been presented at the filing of the counter-affidavit,” she added.

The lawyer of the accused, Dodjie B. Encinas, said they have no intention to delay the proceedings, but the request for an extension, particularly on the additional witnesses, is necessary as they have yet to meet them.

He said they have yet to personally talk to these witnesses, whose affidavits were sent to the accused, police officers Jeffrey Perez and Ricky Arquilita, via courier service.

“Doon kasi, ang basehan ko lang sa affidavit. Hindi ko pa nakita itong mga tao. Yun ang amin gagawin ngayon if ever mahanap namin yung address. Kakausapin namin (For those witnesses, my only basis is the affidavit. I have yet to see these people. That is what we will do, if ever we find the address, we will talk to them),” Mr. Encinas told reporters.

Ms. Acosta pointed out that “witnesses may come during the entire proceedings, that’s allowed, but in the preliminary investigation, it should not last long. Because you are just inviting bogus witnesses, planted witnesses, who just want to ride on the case. So it would entail injustice to the victim.”

The two additional witnesses were named during the preliminary investigation yesterday as Solomon Rosca and Madelene Soliman.

DoJ’s Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Ma. Emilia L. Victorio said the extension is “just only to give you (respondents) the right to fully ventilate your defense.”

Mr. Encinas stressed that the two accused cops are in fact the ones who want to immediately resolve the case as their careers and livelihood are at stake.

The victim, a University of the Philippines student, was tagged by police as a mugger who was found dead in Caloocan City following an alleged shoot-out. — Andrea Louise E. San Juan

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR