THERE are 312 drug-related incidents being looked into by the Commission on Human Rights – CHR 7 since May 22, this year.
Of the number, only 20 cases have been docketed for full blown investigation and those implicated required to file their counter-affidavits. Six of these cases come from Negros Oriental while the rest are from Cebu.
Worse, witnesses have been backing out and for every witness backpedaling, the case weakens, eating up its chances of making it to the prosecutor’s office, much more to the court level.
According to CHR-7 chief investigator Leo Villarino, the lack of witnesses is the biggest hurdle to the investigation of the charges reported to their office.
“If you’re asking me if unsa’y mga development sa atong mga kaso karon, practically there’s no movement sa atong mga kaso,” he lamented. “Sa atong mga bag-ong kaso nga nadawat, personally I am sad there’s very slow development sa atong kaso especially sa kadtong mga nahiuna. Ang pinakadako nga problema gyud nato karon, probably this is also the biggest problem nga na-encounter sa atong kapolisan sa ilang investigation aning “death under investigation” is the lack of witnesses.”
(There is hardly any movement in the cases we’re investigating. The biggest problem is the lack of witnesses.)
Villarino said most of the witnesses back out because of their fear of getting involved in the case or worse, retaliation.
“ We’re having a hard time convincing them to cooperate. Mas naglabaw ang ilang kahadlok, ilang anxiety nga sila ang balikan. We are just hoping nga they can still find courage in themselves to cooperate in the investigation para matagaan sad ug hustisya ang kadtong mga nangamatay.”
Villarino said that the number of witnesses really does not matter so long as the witness was personally able to see what happened and are willing to cooperate in the investigation.”
“What do we want from a witness? First, they have personal knowledge, they have witnessed the incident. Second, come here and tell what he/she has witnessed. The witness will sign the affidavit, the witness will appear during the hearings. Absent any of that one, that is not a witness for us,” he added.