Family and relatives join the inurnment rites of victims of extrajudicial killings linked to the drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte at the Dambana ng Paghilom in La Loma Cemetery in Caloocan City on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA -- Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has ordered the creation of a task force that will investigate and prosecute perpetrators of extra-judicial killings during the war on drugs of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

According to Department Order No. 778, the task force will be under the Office of the Secretary and will be chaired by a senior assistant state prosecutor and co-chaired by a regional prosecutor with nine members from the National Prosecution Service.

The task force is mandated to probe, conduct case build-up and file necessary charges, if warranted against the perpetrators as well as those involved in the EJKs during the previous administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign, the DOJ said in a statement.

“On top of it, the Task Force is directed to closely coordinate and assist the House of Representatives Quad Committee and Senate Blue Ribbon Committee in their respective investigations into the War on Drugs,” the DOJ said.

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The DOJ also said a team from the National Bureau of Investigation may be required to assist the task force.

The task force will be obliged to submit a report to Remulla not later than 60 days from the issuance of the DO.

"Spare no one, hold accountable every personality who had a hand in the senseless killing perpetrated by abusive persons in authority during the past admin's anti-illegal drug campaign,"  Remulla said in the statement.

Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon said the National Prosecution Service is ready for the task.

“Our prosecutors will be there to help go over, review and screen these cases to find out if dapat ba talagang i-dismiss dahil kulang ang ebidensya o merong mga karapat-dapat din namang maisampa,” Fadullon.

Fadullon also noted that the prescriptive period for murder or homicide cases is 20 years that the DOJ and the Department of the Interior and Local Government can look into.

“So there is nothing which will prevent us from looking into cold cases, cases which were probably filed as cases before law enforcement but never reached the prosecution office,” Fadullon said.

Fadullon said they are up for the challenge even if there are hundreds or thousands of cases considering the limited manpower of the NPS.

“It’s definitely going to be a very big task kasi babalik-tanawin mo ang records ng mga nakaraang operations, mga nakaraang kaso, malaking trabaho pero kahit na anong malaking trabaho magsisimula iyan sa maliit,” Fadullon said.

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