Considering the peace and order situation in this country, agencies that are part of the criminal justice system should revisit their rules on the privacy of offenders.
A recent Facebook post of the Department of Justice announced that it had secured the conviction before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 225 of seven people for the kidnapping of a woman in September 2025.
The official DOJ announcement provided details of the kidnapping, including the full name and age of the victim plus the amount of ransom demanded and subsequently paid. But not a single one of those convicted was identified.
Would this have anything to do with the fact that two of the convicts were former members of the Marines and another of the Army?
Part of the punishment for such a vile crime is public opprobrium. The public should also be warned about the identities of such offenders, in case of escape, which is not unusual in the country’s porous jails.
The DOJ may argue that the conviction is not yet final, since it is automatically appealable all the way to the Supreme Court. But the road to final conviction could take two decades. And if the successful prosecution is not yet final, why crow about it in an official release? Why subject the victim and her family to more risks to their personal safety?
As detailed in the DOJ announcement, the ransom paid was considerable. Naming the victim, unless she voluntarily asked to be publicly identified, opens not only her but other members of her family to further ransom kidnapping attempts.
Four of the defendants were acquitted reportedly because of the prosecution’s failure to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt. But there is always the chance that they were in fact involved, although the evidence against them was not strong enough for conviction. Getting away with the crime can encourage its repeat, and impunity.
The DOJ prosecutors do deserve commendation for securing the conviction of the seven kidnappers, who were sentenced to life in prison. In its FB post, the DOJ said it “remains resolute” in pursuing justice.
But putting the victim at risk is irresponsible and a form of injustice.