THE Department of Justice (DOJ) is still evaluating whether or not it has jurisdiction over the report submitted by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on the controversial “Sorsogon City Bubble” involving players of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) men’s basketball team.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said a resolution would be released if the CHED report warrants DOJ’s action.
“All of these are under study. We will act soon,” said Guevarra, referring to the admission of CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III that the report does not dwell on alleged violation of laws or quarantine protocols.
De Vera earlier said its investigation is merely “on possible violations of CHED advisories” and “it’s not connected with any law and order issue or violations of local government rules.”
A high-ranking official of the DOJ who agreed to talk on condition of anonymity, also expressed doubts that the Justice Department has jurisdiction over the matter in light of De Vera’s statement.
“I think it is more an administrative than criminal investigation unless DOJ will direct the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct its own investigation to determine possible criminal liability,” the official explained.
However, the source said the NBI would unlikely intervene in the issue since the Sorsogon City Philippine National Police (PNP) had already conducted an investigation together with the provincial government which took into consideration all factual and legal issues raised against the Sorsogon Bubble issue.
In a seven-page investigation report, the Sorsogon City Police Station declared that Aldin Ayo “is not liable for violation of any health protocol pursuant to IATF-EID guidelines and local executive order in the province during the arrival and stay of the UST players in his residence.”
This was contrary to critics’ claim that the Sorsogon bubble was a clear violation of the quarantine protocols issued by the IATF-EID as the country continues to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The PNP report also belied the reason proffered by the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) in imposing an indefinite ban on Ayo from joining all league-sanctioned events.
The UAAP earlier ruled that Ayo endangered the health and well-being of his players when he conducted the Sorsogon bubble.
But the PNP report said “ That, the actions performed by former UST Head Coach Aldin V. Ayo is in accordance with the health protocol and guidelines as per the existing Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Disease.”
The report of the Sorsogon City PNP was affirmed by the provincial government through Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero.
Earlier, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano said the PNP report “would help a lot in clearing the controversy.”