THE Davao City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) on Friday, May 26, passed a resolution to seek help from the Department of Justice in the immediate transfer of trial and detention of the five Maute members detained in the city.
The request of transfer is in the light of the Marawi incident, which led to the declaration of martial law in Mindanao by President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, May 23.
Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, the council leader, said there is currently a pending petition lodged in the Supreme Court for the transfer of the venue of trial and transfer of the inmates to Metro Manila.
She said the change of venue of the case would take time because it will be decided by the Supreme Court and not in the level of the trial judge, but they are now asking to make these matters urgent.
She added that the CPOC last year made a request to transfer venue because of the recommendation of the city jail warden and the recommendation of the prosecutor that it would be best that the trial would be conducted in Manila because they also have cases in other places in Mindanao.
"So possibly, all their cases will be consolidated and will be placed in Manila, currently they have cases here as well as in Cotabato," she said.
In the CPOC regular meeting on Friday, Davao City Prosecutor Nestor Ledesma said they are set to revise the content of the petition for the transfer of venue since they will add the Marawi and martial law in Mindanao.
Ledesma assured that Regional Prosecutor Grace Fabrero already asked assistance from Justice Secretary Vitaliano Agguire on the matter.
"The secretary of justice assured that he will coordinate with the solicitor general and he will help expedite the filing of the petition to the Supreme Court," he said.
It can be recalled that these five Maute members were arrested weeks following the September 2 Roxas Night market blast that killed 15 people and wounded 69. (KVC)