Cases vs. accused in Paas’ slay re-filed
TAYUG—The dismissed criminal cases filed against those who were originally accused in the gruesome slaying of Pasay City Judge Estrellita Paas at her home in Natividad town in September 2005 have been re-filed with the Regional Trial Court.
The cases for murder and theft are now in the hands of RTC Judge Emma Parajas of Branch 52 in Tayug, more than a year after these were dismissed by RTC Judge Ulysses Raciles Butuyan of Branch 51, also in Tayug.
Accused in Criminal Case No. 4236 for murder and Criminal Case No. 4237 for theft are Jonald Vargas and Elmer Cabiles who were previously arrested by agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Balungao town and Lupao, Nueva Ecija, respectively.
It was gathered that Vargas is now at large following the dismissal of the cases against them. Cabiles, meanwhile is reportedly serving his sentence for a separate case in a previous crime.
The Office of the Regional State Prosecutor approved the re-filing of the case initiated by Reinerio Paas, widower of the deceased Paas, and directed Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Noel Bince to re-file it before the court.
Judge Paas, who was alone in her house in Poblacion Natividad, was stabbed to death.
Reacting to the re-filing of the cases against the same accused, Butuyan said, “The cases are now out of my hands. They might know better than me. They might find strong evidence against the perpetrators.”
He said if the complainants were not satisfied with his order dismissing the case, they might find “a more hospitable sala.”
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