THE Court of Appeals has invalidated orders issued by the Legazpi City Regional Trial Court (RTC) in 2019 allowing former Daraga, Albay town mayor Carlwyn Baldo to post bail in connection with the murder case filed against him over the killing of Ako Bicol party-list representative Rodel Batocabe.
In a ruling promulgated on February 28, the appellate court’s Twelfth Division invalidated the Aug. 29, 2019 and Sept. 9, 2019 orders of Branch 10 of the Legazpi City RTC allowing Baldo to post a total of P8.7 in bail for his temporary liberty.
Baldo is charged with two counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder.
“We find that the trial court committed grave abuse of discretion by granting Baldo’s petition for bail without fully considering all of the prosecution’s evidence in the assailed orders. Therefore, the assailed orders are deemed null and void, “ the CA decision penned by Associate Justice Emily Alino-Geluz said.
“The Regional Trial Court is hereby ordered to resolve the petition for bail taking into consideration all the evidence presented during the bail hearing,” it added.
