Open Letter: Demand for Inquest for Jeffrey Reodica

Open Letter: Demand for Inquest for Jeffrey Reodica

Thursday, August 4th, 2005

TO: The Honourable Monte Kwinter, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services

Dr. Barry A. McLellan, Chief Coroner for Ontario

CC: The Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario

The Honourable John Tory, MPP

The Honourable Howard Hampton, MPP

His Worship David Miller, Mayor of Toronto

FROM: The Justice for Jeffrey Reodica Coalition

Dear Sirs:

Please accept this letter as the formal expression of our demand for a Coroner’s Inquest into the shooting of 17-year-old Jeffrey Reodica by Detective Dan Belanger of the Toronto Police Services NOW. It is at once a formal complaint regarding the overall handling of the investigations surrounding this incident that transpired on the 21st day of May, 2004, and the delay of the promised inquest from the Coroner’s Office.

It has been over a year and still, numerous questions and contradicting evidence have yet to be scrutinized.

The result of the investigation performed by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), in our opinion, is flawed and a complete sham. More questions have arisen after the release of their findings. The subsequent investigation performed by the Professional Standards Division of the Toronto Police Services was even more atrocious because, based on their report: the only people interviewed as material witnesses were the two officers involved. This is purely contrary to the concept of full and impartial investigation.

Too many things had gone wrong, and too many questions remain unanswered. As evident from our last successful rally on May 21, 2005, the public would like to see the promised inquest NOW. This will hopefully shed the light on what really took place; the truth drawn from it can hopefully prevent similar tragic incidents.

The Reodica family and the rest of us, are not prepared to wait years to correct what was wronged, thus our demand for your office to step in and help expedite the start of the inquest. As the Provincial Minister in charge of the Coroner’s Office, we feel that your prompt involvement may be our only prospect of achieving what we struggle for: truth and justice!

Until we hear of the start date for this promised inquest, we will be exercising our basic right to raise our concern, at any cost.

Respectfully Yours
The Justice for Jeffrey Reodica Coalition
Jerry Villanueva, Willie Reodica, Joel Reodica
(647) 298-2957 (416) 524-2367 (416) 895-0555

Organization signatories:

The Justice for Jeffrey Reodica Coalition; AnakBayan Society of Ontario; Osgoode Law Activists’ Association; People’s Front-Toronto; South Asian Left Democratic Alliance (SALDA); Ontario Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (OCHRP)-Ottawa; Philippine Independence Day Council (PIDC) – Toronto; Community Alliance for Social Justice-Toronto; International Solidarity Committee, Canadian; Union of Public Employees (CUPE)-Ontario; Paul Kellogg, Committee for Justice for Otto Vas -Toronto; Filipino Canadian Association of Ryerson (FCAR); Asian Solidarity Network of Toronto; Filipino Youth Service Organization (FYSO); Students’ Artists, Workers and Activists (SAWA); Filipino Workers’ Support Committee (FWSC) -Toronto; No One Is Illegal-Toronto; Leyteños Association-Toronto; Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance-Toronto Chapter; Common Front Legal Collective – Toronto; Philippine Network for Justice and Peace (PNJP)-Toronto; Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP)-Toronto; Asian Canadian Labour Alliance (ACLA); Philippine Solidarity Group of Toronto (PSG-TO); Philippine Athletic League Association of the Residents of Ontario (PALARO); PINAY (Filipino Women’s Organization)-Montreal; Low Income Families Together (LIFT); Carleton University Filipino Students Association – Ottawa (CUFSA); Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance-Vancouver; Centre for Philippine Concerns-Montreal; Filipino Nurses’ Support Group (FNSG) -Vancouver; Philippines-Ottawa Support and Solidarity Effort (POSSE)-Ottawa; Philippine Women Centre of Ontario (PWC-ON); Pilipinong Migrante sa Canada (PMSC)-Ottawa Immigrant Workers’ Centre-Montreal; SIKLAB (Overseas Filipino Workers)-Vancouver; Kabataang Montreal (Filipino Youth of Montreal); Philippine Women Centre of British Columbia (PWC-BC); Balita Filipino-Canadian; Community Newspaper; iFilipino Newsmagazine; Kol Hope Foundation; Circulo FloridaBlanca; Maharajah Heritage Association of Canada; The Philippine Reporter-Toronto; ADHIKA; Philippine Development Concerns; Toronto Solidarity Project; Lucena Association of Ontario; Anti-Racist Action-Toronto; Philippine Heritage Band-Toronto; Philippine Press Club-Ontario; Arab Students’ Collective; SUMOUD Political Prisoners’ Solidarity Group; L-AWDA Palestine Right to Return Coalition; British Columbia Committee for Human; Rights in the Philippines (BCCHRP); Philippine Barangay Association of Toronto; Filipino Athletic; Association of Brampton; Canadian Ladies Auxiliary for Rizal; Diwata Works; Daughters of Isabella; Our Lady of Peace Circle 1297; Filipino Centre of Toronto; Order of the Knights of Rizal (Canada Region); Filipino Canadian Real Estate Association (FILCREA); Luisianians Association of British Columbia; Luisianians Association of Ontario; Luisianians Association of California; Romblomanon Canada; Filipino Free Masons of Sydney, Australia; Circulo Ilongo Aklanon; “Ati-Atihan” Canada; Philippine Colleges and Universities Alumni Association of Canada; Polytechnic University of he Philippines Alumni Association of Canada; Adamson University Alumni Association of Canada; Central Philippine University Alumni Association of Canada; Philippine Christian College Alumni Association of Canada; Ateneo University Alumni Association of Canada; Siliman University Alumni Association of Canada; San Beda College Alumni Association of Canada; University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Canada; Philippine Women’s University Alumni Association of Canada; University of Santo Tomas Alumni Association of Canada; De La Salle University Alumni Association of Canada; Centro Escolar University Alumni Association of Canada; Far Eastern University Alumni Association of Canada; University of the East Alumni Association of Canada; Feati University Alumni Association of Canada; Mapua Institute of Technology Alumni Association of Canada; Abundant Life Ministries; Bukas-Loob Sa Diyos-M.E.#21; Bukas-Loob Sa Diyos- M.E. #19; Bukas-Loob Sa Diyos-Surrey, B.C.; Bukas-Loob Sa Diyos-Toronto, Ontario; Bukas-Loob Sa Diyos-New Jersey, USA; Knights of Columbus-Maharlika Council #7488; Order of the Knights of Rizal-Scarborough Chapter; Filipino Canadian Association of Durham Region; Federation of Filipino Canadians in Markham; Association of Filipino Canadian Engineers; Filipino Canadian Association of Architects; Filipino Canadian Medical Association; Filipino Canadian Dental Association; Alexander Guarnes-Law Offices; Francisco B. Luna-Law Offices; Bayani Abesamis-AntonioVillarin Law Offices, LLP; Association of Filipino Canadian Accountants AFCA; Toastmaster’s Club; JC Link Insurance Brokers; Quirino High School Alumni Association-Canada; Quirino High School Alumni Association-U.S.A.; Quirino High School Alumni Association-Australia; Quirino High School Alumni Association-Philippines; Millenium Financial Services; Dr. Arla Rondilla Dental Offices; Dr. Victoria Santiago and Associates Dental Offices; Scarborough Filipino Canadian Association; Luisianian’s Association of Edmonton; Luisianian’s Association of Calgary; Luisianian’s Association of Oakville; Luisianian’s Association of Virginia, USA.