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LAWYER
Homobono Adaza on Wednesday filed a complaint against
National Police officials, state prosecutors and
civilians for allegedly arbitrary detention and other
violations of the law before the Ombudsman.
In a
telephone interview, Adaza told the BusinessMirror he is
confident the Ombudsman will find probable cause in his
complaint against the respondents.
“I don’t
want to preempt the decision of the Ombudsman, but I’m
confident she will endorse my complaint to the
Sandiganbyan after finding probable cause for
prosecution,” Adaza said.
The
cases Adaza filed are for alleged violation of Republic
Act (RA) 3019, or the Antigraft and Corrupt Practices
Act; RA 6713, or Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards
for Government Officials and Employees; and RA 4200, or
wiretapping, arbitrary detention and delay in the
delivery of detained persons to the proper judicial
authorities.
Among
the policemen charged were Director General Avelino
Razon Jr., National Police chief; Chief Supt. Raul
Castaneda, director of the Criminal Investigation and
Detection Group (CIDG); Senior Supt. Benito Estipona,
CIDG director for operations; Senior Supt. Asher Dolina,
chief of the CIDG directorial staff; Senior Supt. Rene
Ong, CIDG intelligence chief, and Supt. Jacinto Malinao
Jr., CIDG-Special Reaction Unit commander.
Also
named respondents were Virgilio Pablico, CIDG chief
legal officer; lawyer Raymund Fortun; and a certain
Joanne Laurilla.
Those
who participated during his inquest were also included
in the charge sheet, namely, Senior State Prosecutor
Emmanuel Velasco, State Prosecutor Diosdado Solidum and
State Prosecutor Rosa Elmina Villarin.
On July
2, Adaza along with three retired military and police
colonels, including an active military colonel who is
absconded while facing court-martial proceedings, were
arrested by agents of the Intelligence Service of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) and policemen
inside a fast-food chain in Ortigas Center, Pasig City,
for allegedly planning to launch a coup.
The
complaint was filed by Fortun, who claimed that Adaza
and his group had tried to extort $4 million from his
Japanese client to finance a coup.
Adaza
denied the allegation and said he and his companions,
except Col. Oscarlito Mapalo, who was turned over to
military custody to face military trial, were allowed to
post bail.
After
filing the charges, Adaza said he was a “victim of the
reigning government’s impunity to commit criminal acts
against its critics.”
He
challenged Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to exercise
impartiality in all cases filed before her office
involving government officials.
“I can
also file charges against her if she continues to
exercise bias in favor of the government. I’m a lawyer
and she, too, is a lawyer. I can also file a case for
her disbarment,” Adaza said.
Meanwhile, Castañeda said the policemen charged are
ready to face the charges.
“We are
just doing our work. It’s part of our duty to encounter
these kind of cases. We will answer all these
allegations before the Ombudsman,” he said. |
