JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday called for tight coordination between law enforcement and prosecutors to ensure that cases filed in court would result in a conviction.
Remulla made the remarks before the Training and Educational Program for DOJ Prosecutors and Law Enforcement Agents (TEPLEA), where he recalled his days as a young defense lawyer.
In attendance at the gathering were representatives from the DOJ, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Philippine Coast Guard.
Remulla said courts dismiss criminal cases due to weak evidence presented by the prosecution.
He added he also saw prosecution witnesses collapse under withering cross-examination because they came into court unprepared and poorly vetted by prosecutors.
“The prosecutors presented witnesses obviously not prepared, obviously not properly vetted, and thus there were easy pickings for lawyers like me who always tried our best to have our clients acquitted at a given time,” Remulla told the gathering.
He said this experience shaped his determination to ensure there should be close coordination between law enforcement and prosecutors in the case build-up and filing of cases to ensure they would withstand the scrutiny of the court and defense lawyers.
“This should not happen again,” Remulla said, referring to his experience.
“Justice should prevail because we did our job, because we are prepared, and we built the case thoroughly,” he added.
He added that the TEPLEA is one such gathering where members of law enforcement agencies and prosecutors can discuss and review their coordination, gathering of evidence, and preparation of witnesses, among others.
In 2023, Remulla issued Department Circular No.20, directing prosecutors to be proactive in case build-up by working with police investigators to be able to establish a strong prima facie case supported by actual evidence, witnesses, and documents.
Under the order, once the case build-up is completed, the preliminary investigation will commence immediately to determine whether probable cause exists to warrant the filing of charges in court against those involved in the alleged anomalies.
It also prescribes closer coordination between prosecutors and law enforcers investigating the case.
Remulla also welcomed the move of the PNP to form committees to thoroughly review cases filed before the courts, but were eventually dismissed for various reasons.
He said as part of the PNP plan, police officers who handled the dismissed cases would undergo refresher courses to beef up their competency, while those to be designated as investigators should be graduates of a relevant course and have handled cases that led to successful convictions.
DOJ Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano said Remulla’s directive for closer coordination between law enforcement and prosecutors, starting from the early stage of the investigation of a crime, would result in airtight cases filed in court.
“There will be prosecutors at the start of the case, at the crime scene. So, we will be able to know how strong the evidence is to warrant the filing of a case,” he said.
“For so long, what has happened is that the prosecutors and the police have different lines of work. But right now, we need to change the perspective and ensure that they are always working together,” he added.
Clavano said the DOJ would form task forces of prosecutors to handle different cases, including illegal drugs, kidnapping and murder.
He added that under the TEPLEA, the DOJ has already trained 1,800 prosecutors and a similar number of law enforcement agents on how to work closely and cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of cases.
“And we are looking to expand that program. We will get more trainers and an expanded venue to train an additional number of prosecutors and law enforcement agents. We are looking at doubling the number by the end of 2025,” Clavano said.
He said that since the DOJ started the program in 2023, the conviction rate of criminal cases had increased by 14 percent.
