SAN CARLOS CITY–Is the big fish lurking behind the small fry?

Top-gun lawyers reportedly sent by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) arrived last week to extend assistance to Angelito Soriano, the arrested suspect in the murder of Mayor Julian Resuello on April 28.

This raised suspicion among the family of the slain mayor as well as police authorities since the suspect made no such request nor have there been any indications of abuse committed against him.

Acting Mayor Julier “Ayoy” Resuello, the slain mayor’s son, told local newsmen that they are deeply puzzled why good lawyers, also known as “abogado de kampanilya”, suddenly came to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) office in Lingayen town where the arrested suspect is detained.

CHR Commissioner Wilhelm “Beebong” Soriano” is the brother of mayoralty bet Douglas Soriano, who is up against the younger Resuello.

Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez, provincial police director, said in a radio interview that while it is but standard for a suspect to have legal counsel, he does not quite understand why CHR lawyers came.

“I don’t know where they got their mandate to go to the CIDG to check on Soriano despite the absence of any referral or complaint from anybody else”.

Nerez said in his 25 years as police officer, it was his first time to encounter such instance that CHR lawyers came without any referral or request from the suspect’s family or anybody else.

CHR’S DEFENSE: JUST OUR JOB

In a phone interview with The PUNCH, Commissioner Soriano said there was no politics involved in his agency’s action to send its legal team to assist the arrested suspect.

“We just did proactive action. No politics here,” he said.

Soriano said CHR regional director Harold Coberon issued a mission order directing the special investigators to coordinate with Task Force Resuello to visit the suspect to ensure that the constitutional rights of the accused are upheld.

He admitted that they have not received any report that the legal rights of the suspect are being violated in any way, adding that the CHR’s team visit was   meant to remind the police about the protection of the detainee.

“They have not assisted him legally. They just wanted to see to it that the right of the counsel be protected and that he would be treated humanely,” Soriano said.

“It’s only incidental that one of the commissioners (referring to himself) is a brother of a mayoralty candidate in San Carlos City,” he said.

He added that he is willing to be questioned on his motive rather than be accused of not performing his duties.

He said the CHR has been doing the same in other cases but the Resuello case is just getting special media attention.

Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil, police regional director, told The PUNCH in a text message that aside from private legal counsel  Orlando de Guzman, three other CHR lawyers from the regional office courtesy of concerned citizens came, namely: Mildred Lubrera, Omar Cacho and Ferdinand Quedado.—EVA

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