Botanist death's probe stays at DOJ

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) has rejected a request to transfer to Leyte the preliminary investigation into the murder charges filed by the family of noted botanist Leonard Co against officers and members of the Army’s 19th Infantry Battalion for the killing of Co and two guides during crossfire between government troops and communist rebels in Leyte last November.

The panel of prosecutors led by Assistant State Prosecutor George Yarte Jr. junked the argument of the 38 soldiers named in the complaint that they do not have the financial resour-ces to shoulder their transport fare to Manila.

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