DOJ chief orders withdrawal of drug raps vs. Muslim suspect
Better late than never?
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez had an apparent change of mind and change of heart on a controversial drug case pursued by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Western Visayas.
With over two years in Court battle and lengthy legal exchanges thereat, recent DOJ Resolution now upheld an earlier Justice Department ruling – withdraw the drug raps against Cairoden Abdullah.
The Resolution was promulgated May 19, 2008 at the height of the case heard before Branch 36 of the 6th Regional Trial Court (RTC) here.
Docketed as Criminal Case No. 05-61786, Abdullah stands as sole respondent/accused for violation of Section 11, Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
Principal complainants in the case were PDEA's Police Officer (PO) 2 Robert Catubuan and PO 1 Jonel Docdocil.
"This resolves complainants' motion for reconsideration of our resolution promulgated on 8 August 2006 (Resolution No. 566, series of 2006) reversing the resolution of the City Prosecutor of Iloilo City and directing him to cause the withdrawal of the information filed against respondent Cairoden Abdullah," the Resolution went, a copy of which was obtained by The News Today (TNT). "After judicious examination of the motion and the records of this case, we find no cogent reason to alter or modify, much less reverse, our findings. The grounds raised in this instant motion were already duly considered and passed upon in the resolution sought to be reconsidered. Wherefore, the motion for reconsideration is hereby Denied."
No less than the DOJ secretary signed the now controversial Resolution.