THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday said it would subject to evaluation the criminal complaint for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and physical injury filed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) against the father of the student involved in the August 18 Zamboanga shooting incident and a school security personnel.
The complaint against the respondents were filed before the Office of the City Prosecutor of Zamboanga City.
The father, the district commander of the Port of Zamboanga Enforcement and Security Services, has already been relieved from his post following the shooting incident which occurred inside the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior High School.
He was the registered owner of the .40 pistol and a caliber 9mm pistol that was used by his son during the shooting rampage, which claimed the lives of two students, including the attacker and injured another.
‘This will undergo proper evaluation, and as a matter of course, we will be expecting that subpoenas will be issued on the respondents so that issues can be properly ventilated and the prosecutors will have the chance to evaluate the complaint,’ DOJ Undersecretary Ian Norman Dato said.
Dato assured that prosecutors would act on the complaint based on the evidence presented before them.
The PNP, in a statement released on Wednesday, said the father should be held liable for his son’s unauthorized access to the firearms used.
On the other hand, the unidentified school security personnel should be held liable for security gaps which allowed the student to bring the guns inside the school premises.
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida earlier said the AdZU shooting incident may be considered as an act of terrorism.
Vida said investigators are pursuing the possibilities that there are individuals who mentor young people into committing violent acts.