THE Department of Justice (DOJ) is being pressed to account for its backlog of petitions for review and motions for reconsideration amid concerns that prolonged departmental reviews may be delaying the resolution of criminal cases.
In a letter to Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida, Samar Rep. Reynolds Michael Tan, a member of the House Committee on Justice, asked for updated data on pending Petitions for Review (PetRevs), including how long each has remained unresolved and the procedures and timelines for their disposition.
Tan also sought information on pending motions for reconsideration, including the stages they must go through before they can be submitted for resolution.
He made the inquiry while seeking an update on the 2017 killing of Samar farmer-businessman Enrique Manas Sr., particularly the status of a Motion for Reconsideration filed by former military colonel Emilio Zosa, one of the accused in the case.
Manas was killed in an ambush in Sta. Margarita, Samar. Nearly nine years later, the case remains a high-profile example of how criminal proceedings can be prolonged by successive prosecutorial reviews and challenges.
Tan wanted to know whether the motion had been submitted for resolution, and any procedural requirements or additional submissions were still pending.
He also sought confirmation that the Manas family’s counsel had been furnished a copy of the motion and given a chance to comment on it.
Tan asked the DOJ for a broader accounting of its case-review workload, including the number of pending PetRevs and the length of time they have remained unresolved.
He also requested updated figures on criminal cases pending before the National Prosecution Service.
