DOJ to review Duterte-era EJK cold cases

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will review "cold cases" of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) from the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte to determine if they were rightfully dismissed.

Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon stated that there are no impediments to reviewing these cases, noting that murder and homicide cases have a 20-year prescriptive period.

Fadullon clarified that these "cold cases" refer to crimes filed as complaints before law enforcement but never reached the prosecution office.

He expressed optimism that the DOJ can resolve these cases by starting with smaller ones, acknowledging it will be a large task for the National Prosecution Service.

The DOJ's renewed commitment follows reports that Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has established a task force comprising prosecutors and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents to investigate the EJKs, in line with Department Circulars (DC) 15 and 20.