Records at Malabon-Navotas fiscal's office '100% lost'

MANILA, Philippines - Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Agnes Devanadera declared as “irretrievably lost to the flood” all case records and documents at the prosecutor’s office of the lone district of Malabon-Navotas during a visit yesterday.

“Malabon’s records are badly damaged, 100 percent,” Devanadera said even as she advised parties with pending lawsuits to hold on to duplicates in their possession or to search for them now. Some records may have been swept away by floodwaters.

The situation, Devanadera said, makes it necessary for the case records to be “reconstituted” as quickly as possible. She said she will issue a formal “notice to reconstitute” this week.

Devanadera said it will be an added serious problem if the records already with the courts have also been damaged by the flood. “I cannot even begin to think about it,” said Malabon-Navotas Chief Prosecutor Jorge Catalan Jr.

Catalan and his staff used to work out of two 40-foot shipping containers before they transferred to their newly-built office at the justice complex, which also houses the local courts, in low-lying Barangay Catmon three years ago. Floodwaters in Catmon rose to as high as 12 to 16 feet during tropical storm “Ondoy’s” onslaught, destroying not only documents but also computers and stenographic machines.

Devanadera, with state prosecutors and DOJ staff in tow, visited local DOJ offices in areas most affected by floods.

“Malabon is the worst hit (among all prosecutor’s offices in Metro Manila). Not even (the prosecutor’s office in) Marikina could equal the damage done by floodwaters here,” said Devanadera.

Marikina Chief Prosecutor Jason Amante, when reached for comment, said there was no damage to records of active cases and office equipment. Amante’s office is located on the fourth floor of the new Justice building behind the city hall.

“It was a different story for the records of archived and terminated cases, which were stored in the basement, more than 16,400 of which were totally destroyed,” said Amante. He said floodwaters reached six feet at the ground floor.

Devanadera advised Catalan to temporarily hold office at the Philippine Maritime Command building at the Navotas Fishport Complex. Some of the Navotas prosecutors are housed on the third floor.

Meanwhile, Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco, who Catalan said has always given them full support, told The STAR he will send laptops and office supplies to Catalan’s office.

Deputy Chief Prosecutor and Chief Inquest Prosecutor Magno Pablo Jr. told The STAR Tiangco will also provide for the renovation of the Navotas office at the Maritime building.

Pablo said “it was a good thing, our story came out in The STAR,” paving the way for Devanadera’s visit. He said Devanadera “is the only (DOJ) secretary who braved the floodwaters and the rain to come to Malabon and visit us… Not (Secretary Hernani) Perez, not (Raul) Gonzales.”

Catalan, who worked to build records anew after their former office was gutted by fire in the 1990s, said the floodwaters remain their primary concern.

“The water has never left since the onset of the rainy season early in May. These waters have stayed here longer than most of us,” he said, adding that “it would probably take months before we can go back to normal.”