CHR conducts public inquiry on botanist death in Leyte

By RODRIGO S. VICTORIA, PIA 8
January 26, 2011

TACLOBAN CITY  –  The Commission En Banc of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) begun conducting on Wednesday its scheduled two-day public inquiry on the death of botanist and his companions in Leyte.

The public inquiry is docketed as Case No. CHR-VIII-2011-0012 for Deprivation of Right to Life in the matter of the killing of Dr. Leonard Co, Julio Borromeo and Sofronio Cortez in an alleged encounter between troops of 19th Infantry Battalion, 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, Armed Forces of the Philippines and a group of alleged communist terrorist/members of the New People’s Army in Sitio Mahiao, Brgy. Lim-ao, Kanaga, Leyte on November 15, 2011.

The holding of the public inquiry on January 26-27, 2011 at Leyte Park Hotel in Tacloban City by the Commission En Banc is in pursuant to its mandate under Article XIII, Section 18 of the 1987 Constitution and in view of the development in the initial field investigation and fact-finding conducted by CHR-Region VIII and Composite Investigation Team.

Ordered by CHR to appear before the public inquiry are 35 persons composed of seven members of the Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO), medico-legal officer, forensic chemist and forensic firearms examiner of the Regional Crime Laboratory Office of PNP 8, 12 officers and men of the 19th Infantry Battalion, 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, a Municipal Health Officer of Kananga, Leyte, a CHR forensic consultant from UP Manila, a resident of Brgy. Tongonan in Ormoc City, an employee, security officer and an OIC of the EDC Security of the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) in Kananga, Leyte, a resident manager of Leyte Geothermal Production Field of EDC, a police officer and chief of police of Kananga Police Station and the provincial director of PNP-Leyte.

Also present in the inquiry are the parents, relatives, friends and legal counsels of Dr. Leonard Co, Julio Borromeo and Sofronio Cortez, concerned groups both national and local including some members of the private media in Tacloban City and some members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who provided security in the venue.