The family of a man killed in a 2017 ambush in Samar has appealed to Acting Department of Justice (DoJ) Secretary Fredderick Vida to intervene in a murder case that has failed to reach trial for nearly nine years.

The appeal comes more than 400 days after a direct order from the Department of Justice to file the case in court went unheeded.

According to records, Enrique Manas Sr. was killed on 23 July 2017, when he, his son Alfredo, and several companions were ambushed by armed men while cutting grass along a feeder road in Barangay Bahay, Santa Margarita, Samar.

While Alfredo and the others escaped, Enrique Sr. died at the scene.

Investigation reports identified the alleged assailants as Emilio Zosa, Arturo Deborbon, Joel Calagos, Sofronio Meduranda Jr. and Reymart Antivo. Although criminal complaints were filed that same year, the proceedings have faced persistent delays.

On 16 January 2025, then-Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla — now the Ombudsman — issued a directive ordering the Office of the Prosecutor General to file the necessary charges in court within 10 days. As of Sunday, 411 days have elapsed without compliance.

In a letter to Vida dated 3 March 2026, the family’s counsel, Kristjan Gargantiel, noted that Vida served as an undersecretary when the Remulla directive was first issued. The family is now urging him to ensure the order is finally implemented.

“The family continues to wait for justice,” Gargantiel said. “This is not about revenge but about ensuring that the proper legal process is carried out for the victim and for the integrity of the system.”

The family expressed hope that Vida’s leadership will end nearly a decade of uncertainty and allow the case to proceed to court.