Police, military urges Sky Eye to file charges vs captors

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jun 4): Police, military urges Sky Eye to file charges vs captors

Police and military authorities urged the owner of the Sky Eye, the firm contracted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 11 to conduct aerial survey on the National Greening Program plantations to file charges formally against the rebels who abducted five of its personnel.

Lt. Colonel Jacob Thaddeus Obligado, outgoing commanding officer of the 10th Civil-Military Operations Battalion said the idea of not filing charges against the rebels following the commission of the crime is a wrong move.

He said formal charges must be filed against the rebels.

“All our efforts will be back to zero if we will not file charge with the affected agency and firm not minding the incident,” Obligado said.

He said the rebels will be more emboldened to defy the law, violate the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and commit crimes if appropriate charges will not be filed against them.

Obligado said following the whole-nation approach, all agencies of government and even non-government and civil society organizations should be one with the common end to bring services that will promote peace and development.

Senior Superintendent Joel Pernito, director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Davao Region said that a legal offensive must be pursued against the rebels.

He said the rebels can be sued for abduction.

“It is part of our legal offensive in pursuing charges against the rebels for committing abduction,” Pernito said.

Matthew Cua, operator of the Sky Eye said they are still assessing their options following the release of the victims Monday afternoon.

He said their primary concern now is the safety of the victims who have taken a break following a three-day ordeal in the hands of their captors

http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=2381401863983