STATE prosecutors have junked criminal raps against a 20-year-old human rights advocate and several others in connection with their alleged involvement in the July 2022 ambush of Army soldiers in Taysan, Batangas.
In junking the cases for terrorism, attempted murder and violation of international humanitarian law against Hailey Jade Pecayo and several others, Sta. Rosa, Laguna Associate Prosecutor Christian Castro said the prosecution’s witnesses failed to identify the respondents as the perpetrators of the crimes for which they are charged.
Pecayo is the spokesperson of the rights group Tanggol Batangan. She, along with Kenneth Rementilla and Jasmin Rubia, who are facing separate charges, belonged to teams of human rights advocates investigating the deaths of farmer Maximino Digno and Kyllene Casao in July 2022 allegedly by the military.
The military denied they were behind the deaths of Digno and Casao.
“The spot report as well as the progress report failed to identify the respondents,” Castro said in a resolution dated November 20 and approved by City Prosecutor Cesar Calubag.
The resolution said it is hard to believe the witnesses would be able to fully identify the persons who engaged the Army soldiers considering that it took place in a forested area in Barangay Ginhawa, Taysan town.
“The firefight happened in a forested area as depicted in the pictures and the complainant and his witnesses were ten to 15 meters away from the persons shooting them,” it said.
“Given the reasons, plus the fact that the incident happened during an ambush, familiarity with the faces of the malefactors is entirely nil,” it added.
The resolution also said the firefight lasted for only a few minutes.
“In view of the foregoing, finding lack of evidence, the cases filed against respondents are hereby recommended to be dismissed,” it added.
Army Sgt. Jean Claude Bacaro, who was injured in the encounter, and Capt. Ival Neil Ogatis filed the complaints against Pecayo and some 15 others who were identified in the complaint mostly through their aliases.
The prosecution also presented five individuals who claimed they were members of the communist New People’s Army and identified Pecayo as being a rebel member.
But the prosecutor said they were not in the area where the ambush occurred.
