witness protection program

WITNESS PROGRAM LACKS FUNDS - GONZALES
By Joe del Puerto Felicilda

THE government is terribly hard-pressed in sustaining its Witness Protection Program (WPP) for lack of necessary funds, according to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales.

In a news conference during the 21st National Convention and Referendum of the Prosecutors League of the Philippines (NPLP) here in Cagayan de Oro City, Gonzales told media that the budget of WPP for this year is only 90 million pesos, which is never enough for the needs of witnesses placed under the program.

Based on guidelines, the government must also take care of the families of WPP clients, like sending their children to school, paying for their safe houses and providing each with a minimum monthly allowance of eight thousand pesos.

“If there are 1,000 witnesses for instance, you can imagine how much it will cost,” Gonzales said, adding that this early, the WPP had to ask from the Office of the President the additional amount of 25 million pesos for it to survive until the end of the year.

On another concern, the justice secretary explained that the number of courts does not matter in the resolution of cases, but it is how evidences are gathered by the investigating agencies, such as the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the prosecutors and eventually the courts.

“You may have 100 courts, but if the people investigating the cases cannot come up with evidence, what will you present in court” Gonzales stressed.

He cited the need for additional 800 prosecutors and 700 lawyers for the Public Attorneys Office (PAO), as another factor delaying the resolution of cases.

“Some areas in the country have only one prosecutor, contrary to the ideal of two for every municipality,” Gonzales concluded. (Joe Felicilda)