Family of 2017 Samar ambush victim seeks DOJ update on murder case
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Nearly nine years after the 2017 ambush that killed Enrique Manas Sr. in Sta. Margarita, Samar, his family is again appealing to Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida for assistance and an update on the status of the case.
On 16 January 2025, then Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla ordered the filing of murder charges against Emilio Zosa, Arturo Deborborn and Ricky Calagos following years of investigation and review by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The filing followed the evidentiary standard advanced under Remulla’s initiative, which requires prosecutors to determine whether evidence meets the threshold of “reasonable certainty of conviction” before a criminal case is filed in court.
The criminal information was received by the Regional Trial Court on 19 March 2026.
Zosa subsequently filed a motion for reconsideration before the DOJ, prompting the Manas family to seek an update from Vida on the status of the motion.
The family is also asking whether its lawyers have been furnished a copy of the motion and given an opportunity to submit their comment or position before the department resolves the matter.
The Manas family stressed that it respects due process and the rights of all parties.
It noted that the case had already undergone years of evaluation by the DOJ and expressed hope that the earlier determination under Remulla that charges should be filed would stand.
The family appealed to Vida to allow the case to proceed in court, if there is no legal impediment, so the evidence from all sides can be heard and examined through the judicial process.
After nearly nine years of waiting, the family said it is seeking neither special treatment nor prejudgment of the accused, but simply the opportunity for the case to proceed in accordance with law and for justice to be served for Manas.
