Deputy City Prosecutor Fred Nojara rejected former Duterte presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s claim that the National Prosecution Service has been politicized, saying prosecutors follow evidence, not politics.
In a Facebook post, Nojara said he took exception to Roque’s allegation that the National Prosecution Service has been politicized.
“With due respect, the accusation is factually baseless,” Nojara said.
He said the more than 2,000 prosecutors all over the country have a clear mandate to uphold the law and not serve political interests.
“In my 10 years as a prosecutor and member of the NPS, I personally vouch for the professionalism and integrity of my colleagues. We work under pressure, under scrutiny, and under the law,” he said.
He said that prosecutors are guided by Department of Justice Circular No. 15, Series of 2024, which requires proper case build-up and pre-evaluation of complaints and ensures due process.
In evaluating a complaint, they apply the standard of prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction.
If the evidence does not meet this standard, he said the complaint is dismissed regardless of the parties involved.
“The NPS is not a political arm of government. Prosecutors act solely on the evidence presented to them. We have dismissed cases against allies. We have filed cases against critics. We have also dismissed cases against critics when the evidence did not support it. The constant is not politics. The constant is evidence,” he said.
Nojara called Roque’s allegations “misleading” and said the NPS has not allowed itself to be used to advance a political agenda.
“Our mission is simple and unchanging: to serve the Filipino people. To bring justice to those who are aggrieved. And to prevent injustice to those who are wrongfully accused of crime.
That is the work of the National Prosecution Service. And I am proud to be part of it,” he added.
Roque, who has an asylum application in Austria and is facing a trafficking case in the Philippines, earlier criticized Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon and claimed Fadullon allowed himself to be used in filing baseless cases against Marcos administration critics.
Roque also said he had pushed for a law to protect the NPS from being politicized, but said this has not been prevented.