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Joma to sue Dutch prosecutors on ‘wrongful investigation’
By Abraham Baladad
Created 04/06/2009 - 20:09
Published on ABS-CBN News Online Beta (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com)
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/print/49131
The ball is now in Jose Maria “Joma” Sison’s court after the Dutch
Prosecutor’s Office dropped its investigations on his alleged involvement
in the murders of his erstwhile allies in the Philippines.
The Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman who is on
self-exile in The Netherlands says he plans to seek damages from Dutch
prosecutors.
In the one and a half year period of the probe, Sison repeatedly declared
his innocence in the murders of his erstwhile allies Romulo Kintanar and
Arturo Tabara.
After the Dutch Prosecutor on March 31 dropped all charges against
Sison because of insufficient evidence, Joma said he plans to claim
damages for the criminal investigation that he said tarnished his honor
and dignity.
Sison said that he will demand compensation mainly for the expenses
he incurred in his legal defense during those seventeen months.
He said that it would not have been costly for anyone had the Dutch
prosecution stopped, what Sison called, its nonsense investigation earlier.
“The most important thing is the moral and material damage that I
suffered. For instance ‘yong mga abogado ko can claim for compensation
for their services,” Sison told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
Sison also explained that most of the expenses for his legal defense came
from the pocket of his wife Juliet.
“Gumastos si Julie diyan. Siya ang nag-ante ng panggastos ng abogado.
Kailangan ibalik yan,” Sison said.
Even the National Democratic Front (NDF) said it plans to claim damages
for the unnecessary stress and terror caused by the Dutch police’s raid
of its office and the houses of its members during the arrest of Sison on
Aug. 28, 2007.
The NDF also demands the immediate return of documents and materials
that were confiscated during the raid but which are still in the hands of
the Dutch Prosecutor.
“Marami pa ring natira. Hindi pa sinosoli… Dapat lahat ng bagay na kinuha
sa opisina, sa mga bahay namin at iba pa ay dapat isoli ngayon ng Dutch
authorities,” NDF chair Luis Jalandoni exclaimed.
Sison’s lawyer Michiel Pestman said he does not have an estimate yet on
the total amount of damages because he said that there were a lot of
people involved.
Sison said that his Dutch lawyers worked in tandem with Filipino lawyers.
“Ka-consult din ng Dutch lawyers sila Atty. Romeo Capulong na nasa Public
Interest Law Center na gumawa ng research at nagtipon ng documentary
evidence at naghanda ng possible witness in my favor,” Sison said.
Pestman emphasized though, that it is more a matter of principle.
“Compensation is not the most important thing. I just want to stress it’s
not the money,” Pestman said.
Pestman added that everything has just been a big waste of time and
money for both sides because the Dutch prosecution wanted to save
face before the Arroyo government.
“They somehow have to sell this to the Filipino government and which
might be more difficult than closing the investigation,” Pestman said.
as of 04/06/2009 8:10 PM
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