Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) Spokesman Justice Undersecretary Ricardo R. Blancaflor praised the decision of the Court of Appeals to extend for another four months the freeze order on the bank account and assets of a suspected terrorist.

“This is favorable news for all of us. This is necessary pending the completion of the investigation on Ahmed Santos, the suspected terrorist behind many bombing attacks”, Blancaflor said.

The CA has extended for another four months the freeze order on the assets and several bank accounts of Ahmed Santos, the founder of the terrorist group Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM). The Court’s Special Second Division, in a 5-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Teresita Dy-Liacco, granted the petition of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to extend the freeze order on Santos’ assets in order to prevent their disposal pending the completion of the investigation the AMLC is conducting for the possible filing of a civil forfeiture case against Santos.

The original freeze order issued by the appellate court expired on September 26, 2008. With the ruling, the freeze order on Santos' assets was extended until January 25, 2009.

The AMLC is a member of the Anti-Terrorism Council.

“The ATC also notes the splendid work of the AMLC who have been very diligent in pursuing the cases against the terrorists”, Blancaflor remarked.

Among the assets of Santos that were frozen were those located at No. 50 Purdue Street corner Ermin Garcia in Cubao, Quezon City and a 25-hectare property in Anda, Pangasinan. Likewise, a BPI Family Savings Bank account, under the name of Ricardo Ayeras, was also frozen.

The RSM is the alleged perpetrator of the Super Ferry 14 bombing in 2004 that killed 116 persons, and the Valentine’s Day Bombing in 2005 that killed 4 and injured 97 others. The RSM was also implicated in the alleged plot to blow up the US Embassy in Manila, the kidnapping of 21 foreigners in Sidapan, Malaysia and the foiled Lenten holiday bombing in Malate in 2006.

Santos founded the RSM, otherwise known as “Balik-Islam Movement”, a radical group of Muslim converts. He used to be an OFW working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in the 1990s. He converted to Islam, underwent bomb-making training, and recruited other OFWs to join the RSM.

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Justice Undersecretary Ricardo R. Blancaflor announced at a press conference held in his office on Wednesday that the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) sent a legal team to Malaysia last Monday (November 3) to file a trafficking case against a foreigner who has victimized hundreds of Filipinas – making history in RP’s fight against trafficking.

Blancaflor, who is concurrently Acting Chairman of the IACAT said, “This is the first attempt of the Philippine government to initiate a case of human trafficking against a foreign national and the same to be prosecuted in a foreign soil. This is also the first attempt of any government to seek another government’s assistance.”

Leading the legal team in Malaysia was Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Severino Gaña of the Department of Justice who proudly announced that their endeavour was “a success”. The foreign suspect was arrested last Monday evening together with his wife. Susan Ople of the Blas Ople Foundation also joined the team.

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, a known advocate of anti-trafficking, joined the press conference and praised the IACAT for the initiatives and latest development. The mayor who was instrumental in providing details on the suspect, pledged to provide support for the IACAT.

The suspected trafficker is a Singaporean national who lives in Malaysia and known for his alias “Alfred Lim”, ironically, a namesake of the good Mayor. The suspect, who owns a recruitment agency, has already victimized hundreds of OFW women by recruiting them to work as domestic helpers or waitresses in Malaysia with promises of good pay and excellent work conditions, but eventually ended up as slave maids or slaves. The recruits were not paid salaries, hardly fed, and physically maltreated. Some were also sexually exploited.

The IACAT, which is tasked to coordinate and monitor the implementation of RA No. 9208 also known as “the Anti-trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 “,conducts many different projects geared towards the elimination of trafficking in persons in the Philippines, prevention of the occurrence of trafficking, the protection and rehabilitation of victims and the conviction of trafficking offenders. Its members are composed of the following: the Secretary of Justice, Secretary of Social Welfare and Development, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Secretary of Labor and Employment, Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration, Director of the National Bureau of Investigation, Director General of the Philippine National Police, Administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency, Chairperson of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, Children’s Sector NGO Representative (ECPAT Philippines), Women’s Sector NGO Representative (CATW-AP), and an OFW Sector Representative. Ex-officio members include the Secretary of Interior and Local Government and the Head of the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime.

For more information about the activities of IACAT, please visit the IACAT website at www.iacat.com.ph
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The Department of Justice and the Special Committee for the Protection of Children (SCPC) today launched the Guide for Media Practitioners on the Coverage and Reporting of Cases Involving Children in simple ceremonies in City Garden Suites, Ermita, Manila.

The launching ceremony opened with a message from Justice Undersecretary Ernesto Pineda who represented SCPC Chair Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez. This was followed by a presentation of the Guide by Justice Undersecretary Linda Malenab-Hornilla, SCPC Chairperson-designate. The ceremony was highlighted by the ceremonial turnover of the Guide to heads of media organizations such as National Press Club President Benny Antiporda, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas Chairman Butch Canoy and Publishers' Association of the Philippines, Inc. President Juan P. Dayang. Also present was Mr. Ariel Sebellino, Program Director of the Philippine Press Institute. A dance number by children from Nayon ng Kabataan gave color to the ceremony. It ended with a message from Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral which was read by Assistant Director Gemma Gabuya of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The Revised Guide is the updated version of the Guidelines produced in 2000. The SCPC, after the passage of various laws involving children, saw the need to update the 2000 Guidelines. The guide was formulated to protect the right to privacy of children who are victims of abuse, discrimination and exploitation, children in conflict with the law and children in armed conflict. The primary objective of the guide is to allow healing and rehabilitation of these children sans the danger of re-trauma, threat to their lives and social stigma that may result from inappropriate media exposure, improper coverage or reporting. The guide focuses on the four basic principles on the rights of the child in accordance with the Philippine Constitution, existing domestic laws and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The principles covered by the guide are the right of the child to privacy, respect for the child's dignity at all times, right of the child to be heard, and the role of media in the promotion of child rights and prevention of child delinquency.

This guide poses a challenge to media who are being called upon to advocate for the rights of the child by exercising sensitivity and restraint in certain circumstances when covering and reporting children's cases and at the same time upholding its right to freedom of expression under the framework of a democratic society. The SCPC utilized the inputs from the various consultation and validation workshops among media representatives held in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Also included in the guide are confidentiality provisions of existing laws such as RA 7610 (Anti-Child Abuse Act), RA 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act), RA 9262 (Violence Against Women and their Children Act), RA 9165 (Comprehensive Drugs Act), RA 8369 (Family Court Act). The guide also cites the draft Guidelines and Principles for Reporting on Issues Involving Children which was adopted by the International Federation of Journalists in Recife, Brazil on 2 May 1998.

The SCPC stresses to media that in reporting children's cases, the child's best interest should always be the primordial consideration. It calls for adherence to the provisions provided by laws and the undertaking of efforts in upholding and protecting the rights of children.

For a full copy of the Revised Guide for Media Practitioners in Covering and Reporting Cases Involving Children, click here. ...Read more>>

The Department of Justice (DOJ) marks its 111 years of existence on 26 September 2008. Anniversary celebrations kicked off with sports activities on 22 September 2008. The main celebration which has been scheduled on 29 September 2008 is capped with a Holy Mass after which officials and employees who have rendered service for 10 years and those who have served for 5 years thereafter shall be recognized and awarded for their loyalty. The program will be followed by the blessing and inauguration of the new building for prosecutors which is located within the DOJ compound and the launch of the new DOJ website.

The DOJ was born during the Revolutionary Assembly in Naic, Cavite on 17 April 1897 when Don Severino delas Alas was named Secretary of Grace and Justice. As Spanish sovereignty was drawing to a close, it was reorganized in Kawit, Cavite under the decree dated 26 September 1898 of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo who appointed Gregorio Araneta to head the Department. It underwent several reorganizations during the American regime in 1916 up to the Commonwealth Government, the Japanese regime in 1942, the birth of the Philippine Republic in 1946 and the parliamentary system of government in 1973. In 1986, the EDSA Revolution ushered in the rebirth of the Department of Justice. ...Read more>>

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently turned over to the Department of Justice legal references for prosecutors in simple ceremonies held at the Office of the Secretary.

The legal materials consisted of 500 compact discs (CDs) entitled Laws & Jurisprudence for Philippine Prosecutors (LJPP) which the ADB contracted with CD Asia. ...Read more>>

The Department of Justice DOJ has launched a more comprehensive and dynamic website that will address the need of the public for information about the DOJ and its services.

The Web Development Workshop was held on 12 -14 March 2008 at DOJ Academy, Clarkfield, Angeles City, Pampanga. Personnel from the Management Information Systems Division of the Management Services Office and the Information Division of the Administrative Service put their efforts together to redevelop the existing DOJ website. ...Read more>>