JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday said state prosecutors will proceed with the prosecution of the cases in connection with the disappearance of six “sabungeros” or cockfighters amid the withdrawal of the victims’ families from the cases.
In a chance interview with reporters, Remulla said he was told by the National Prosecution Service (NPS) that they cannot just dismiss the cases.
The NPS, which has jurisdiction over all state prosecutors in the country, is headed by Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento.
”Ang sabi ng NPS, we cannot dismiss them if these people have not surrendered to the jurisdiction of the court or the Department of Justice. So, we cannot dismiss these cases,” Remulla said.
“Theoretically, the State can still continue the case even with the desistance of the families. But in our regime of laws, we give big importance on the loved ones as the private offended parties and if they ask for the cases to be dismissed, we allow it to happen. But theoretically, the State can continue if it wishes to,” he added.
Remulla added that the State is also an interested party to the case because it is the one that “tried to enforce a rule of law and regime of law in this country.”
Families of the six missing cockfight aficionados announced on Augusts 4 that they were withdrawing from the case.
The move caught the prosecution panel by surprise, with Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon saying the families were diligent in pursuing the cases early on.
Fadullon said then that the cases would proceed, and let the court decide whether or not to give weight to the withdrawal of the families from the cases.
The DOJ filed last January before the Manila Regional Trial Court kidnapping and serious illegal detention raps against six security officers at the Manila Arena namely Julie Patidongan, Gleer Codilla, Mark Carlo Zabala, Virgilio Bayog, Johnny Consolacion and Roberto Matillano Jr. who all have warrants for their arrest in connection with the disappearance of James Baccay, Marlon Baccay, Claude Inonog, Mark Joseph Velasco, Rowel Gomez, and Rondel Cristorum.
Remulla said the development was alarming since it is the only case where the accused group of Patidongan are implicated.
“From cases one to eight, the only one case is filed against this group and this is where there was an attempt to settle all the cases with the aim of dismissing the cases against Patidongan’s group,” Remulla said.
To prevent similar incidents, the DOJ chief said his office has asked the PNP-CIDG to provide an update on its investigation on the other missing sabungero cases.
“I asked for a written update of all these cases from the CIDG, the NBI and the prosecution panel,” he said.
He said he will wait for the report before the DOJ decides on the next step regarding the case.
The DOJ in December last year also indicted three Laguna cops — Ssgt. Daryl Paghangaan and Patrolmen Roy Navarete and Rigel Brosas for robbery and kidnapping of e-sabungero agent Ricardo Lasco.
