GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Noting the dangers they face in convicting crooks, President Benigno C. Aquino III strongly backed the arming of state prosecutors, even telling them that they can learn from him. Aquino on Thursday disclosed that the Department of Justice, the Philippine National Police and the Prosecutors League of the Philippines (PLP) have already signed a memorandum of agreement that will prioritize the firearms licensing application of prosecutors.
The government is concerned about the safety of prosecutors, especially when taking high-profile cases, said Aquino, a gun enthusiast, during the 23rd PLP national convention here. It was Aquino's first presidential visit to this city.
"If you need a so-so [gun] instructor, I'm also willing to volunteer," the President said."We cannot allow mere intimidation to stop us all from doing our jobs," he added. Aquino said that security orientation seminars will be conducted for prosecutors in the different parts of the country through the European Union Philippine Justice Support program, with 50 of them already benefiting from the project also undertaken with the Justice department. On top of favoring gun-toting prosecutors, Aquino also urged them to resist the temptation of money. "Wag sana ninyong tularan ang iba na agad nababaliktad ang paninindigan oras na lapagan sila ng sako-sakong pera (Don't follow others who change their stance when offered by sacks of money)," he said.
The President claimed that under his 10-month old administration, the conviction rate of government prosecutors rose to 25 percent from just 14 percent under the previous Arroyo government, commending Justice Secretary Leila de Lima for the feat.
To further enhance the prosecutors' performance, Aquino said the Justice department's allocation for prosecution services were raised by more than P260 million in the 2011 General Appropriations Act. In a related development, the President said the budget for the Witness Protection Program was also increased by almost 80 percent to P151 million from P84 million in a bid to encourage people to stand against crooks. The amount could cover 640 witnesses or whistleblowers, he added.
Earlier, Malacanang has certified as one of its priority bills the Whistleblower’s Act.
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