Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 21) — State prosecutors junked a motion to reconsider the earlier dismissal of murder charges against 17 police officers tagged in the 2021 killing of Ariel and Ana Mariz Lemita-Evangelista.
The two were among nine activists killed during police operations known as the \”Bloody Sunday\” raids in Batangas two years ago.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) dismissed in March the murder case filed by the couple’s families against the policemen. Ana Mariz’s mother, Rosenda Lemita, appealed the decision in May.
READ: DOJ junks murder raps vs. 17 cops over deaths of two ‘Bloody Sunday’ victims
\”A close scrutiny of the Motion for Reconsideration shows nothing that would warrant the reversal of the findings of the panel. The complaint did not sufficiently prove conspiracy, but merely relied on a baseless assumption that the Philippine National Police (PNP) conducted its operations specifically to kill spouses Evangelista,\” read the resolution dated May 29 but made public July 21.
READ: 9 dead as police crackdown vs activists in Southern Tagalog
The resolution also stated that the police operations were conducted on the basis of search warrants alleging the existence of firearms and explosives in the couples’ cottage located in Sitio Hulo, Barangay Calayo in Nasugbu, Batangas.
\”This supports the legitimacy of the police operation to implement the search warrants and not simply a conspiracy to kill spouses Evangelista,\” it read.
\”As there was no conspiracy, complainant failed to establish the person who actually killed the spouses, but only made a sweeping accusation against all police officers who participated in the operation,\” it added.
Prosecutors noted that the complainants did not submit any firearms identification reports to confirm the ownership of the guns which fired the bullets that were recovered from the couple’s bodies.
