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Datumanong: No negligence in Strunk extradition
November 17, 2003
Justice Secretary Simeon Datumanong today defended his subordinates from
accusations of negligence in the extradition from the US of Rod Lawrence Strunk,
primary suspect in the murder of veteran actress Nida Blanca.
Datumanong said early this year, he has ordered the NBI to submit all the
necessary evidence in the extradition of Strunk. He added that the evidence
submitted to the Regional Trial Court of Pasig that ordered the warrant of
arrest against Strunk were the same evidence submitted to the US court in
Sacramento California.
"We would like to assure the public that we are dedicating the same effort in
this case as we do with other cases we are handling," Datumanong said. "In
fact, I have ordered Undersecretary Merceditas Gutierrez to study the options of
whether to refile the extradition case or make an appeal." He added that DOJ
lawyers and prosecutors are now seriously looking into the matter.
The Justice Secretary denied that the DOJ did not do enough work as it has
focused most of its efforts in the Kuratong Baleleng case. He said different
sets of prosecutors and lawyers are assigned to the respective cases and
stressed that those handling the Nida Blanca case were top-rate lawyers of the
Department.
He also pointed out that lawyers who stood for the Philippine government in the
US court were lawyers from the US Department of Justice saying that our
Philippine prosecutors do not have the legal standing to appear in the
extradition trial of Mr. Strunk. "We only submitted the evidence needed in the
case and it was up to the US Department of Justice to argue our case,"
Datumanong said.
On calls to fire Director Reynaldo Wycoco as NBI Chief, he defended Wycoco by
saying that among the DOJ officials he has diligently and effectively carried
out his work as head of the Bureau.
"I do not see any reason to fire him just because this case did not turn out to
be what we expected," Datumanong interjected.
But the Justice Secretary expressed hope that the Philippine government can
ultimately
extradite Strunk.
"There is no point in blaming one another in this case," Datumanong advised.
"What would be most productive is to sit down together and evaluate the evidence
presented and find a way to overturn the decision." He also added that no one
is to be blamed in this case as the US court judge may have appreciated the case
in his own way.
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