Prosecutors back DOJ internal affairs unit reactivation

PROSECUTORS in Northern Mindanao show off their support on the reactivation of the Department of Justice's (DOJ) internal affairs unit.

The DOJ internal affairs unit is a special division tasked to investigate crooked officials of the government's prosecution services.

City prosecutor Fidel Macauyag said more than 90 percent of the members of the prosecuting body in the region are "supportive of the marching in order to cleanse the prosecution service."

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said during her recent visit in Cagayan de Oro City that the DOJ will carry out the special unit to oust corrupt prosecutors in the judiciary sector.

"That is good. We support Secretary Leila De Lima's move against erring prosecutors because the problem is that when a prosecutor is into something, the entire organization is affected. We fully support to prosecute prosecutors," Macauyag said.

He vowed "101 percent" to backup De Lima's desire in weeding out even the corrupt members of the judiciary sector.

Macauyag categorically admitted that there are members of the prosecution service who are on "corruption activities," which reportedly jeopardized the image of the justice system.

"We cannot deny that there are corrupt prosecutors but very, very few only," he said.

Malou M. Romualdo-Sumalpong, officer-in-charge of the Misamis Oriental Provincial Prosecutor's office, also support the move, saying: "If you have nothing to hide, there's nothing to fear."

"Even before that advent, we are transparent on all our transactions here in our office. We have been diligently submitting our reports. Through this, the head office will be able to track down what is happening in the field offices," Sumalpong said.

She added that since the enactment of the unit, no prosecutor in the province was incarcerated yet. (With Verna Jane D. Aliboyog and Micolaine T. Dolloso, AdZU interns)