Prosecutor is unprofessional

It was with concern and alarm that I read the news item on Prosecutor Emilie Fe de los Santos’ style of handling sensitive cases, like the Jeffrey Laude murder case, being tolerated again (“Prosecutor shakes off ties to Nicole’s case,” Front Page, 11/3/14). Yes, it brought back memories of Nicole’s case, where I personally witnessed this style on a daily basis in court. I remember, too, that former senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani and Imelda Villar, respectively former chair and president of the Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service, accused De los Santos of undermining the case against Daniel Smith and other US Marines after the prosecutor’s questionable blocking of lawyer Evalyn Ursua’s participation as a private prosecutor. The move dismayed even De los Santos’ very competent young assistant who was very cooperative, helpful and kind to Nicole and our support team.

In fact, after a press conference on her dubious moves, she went ballistic on cam and called Nicole and her family “persona non grata.” I also remember her asking me to convince Nicole to say she remembered being penetrated by Smith even if she knew this was not true since the toxicology reports that were submitted had already established her to be almost comatose at the time of the rape.

Now De los Santos continues to act unprofessionally by berating and insulting the victims and even her colleagues in court. All these grandstanding and uncouth behavior should be stopped! Families of victims are traumatized enough by the crime. They should not be subjected to further insults and disempowerment by this kind of prosecution. We treat “state witnesses” better than actual victims of a heinous crime!

No! Prosecutor De Los Santos cannot shake off her dismal record in handling Nicole’s case. It’s déjà vu!

—JUNE LOPEZ, MD,

UP professor of psychiatry,

Citizens’ Network for Psychosocial Response