THE Department of Justice (DOJ) said a panel of prosecutors will be created to conduct a preliminary investigation to determine if there is a probable cause to indict Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison and three others for child abuse and recruitment of minors in connection with the complaint filed by two rebel returnees.
DOJ-National Prosecution Service (NPS) Prosecutor General Benedict Malcontento said the two complaints separately filed by rebel returnees Kurt Russel Olaes Sosa and Joy James Alcoser Saguino last week through the assistance of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), have already been docketed.
Malcontento said the complaints were eventually “forwarded to the chairperson of the appropriate task force for assignment to a panel of prosecutors for the conduct of the preliminary investigation.”
Sison and two others identified as Lean Porquia and Karen Edaniel, who are reportedly members of Anakbayan, were specifically accused of violating Section 4 (i) of Republic Act 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003) as expanded by RA 10364 (Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012) for Recruiting a child to engage in armed activities; and for violation of Section 10 of RA 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act).
On the other hand, Saguino, a former CPP-NPA-NDF cadre with aliases “Ka Amihan,” “Ka Che” and “Commander Che,” said he was 16 years old at the University of the Philippines-Visayas, Iloilo Campus, when he was allegedly recruited in June 2007 to join the communist movement.
The DOJ-NPS said the complaints filed by Sosa and Saguino were related to the August 23 complaint filed by a female rebel returnee against Sison and three others for child abuse, human trafficking and rape.