PDEA, prosecutors trade bribery raps
RIFT OVER BAGUL WORSENS
THE word war between the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the City Prosecutors Office in Dagupan has escalated with the former insinuating that money changed hands when the latter resolved to release arrested drug lord Datu Michael Bagul.
In the complaint filed by PDEA before the Regional State Prosecutor, the agency assailed the resolution and implied thatmembers of the City Prosecutor’s office received a bribe for Bagul’s release.
City Prosecutor Pelagio Palma and 3rd Assistant Prosecutor Ferdinand Parayno, who took offense with PDEA’s “malicious insinuation”, quickly turned the table on the enforcement agents.
“With regard to the insinuation that money changed hands, this should be investigated but among the PDEA agents because according to reliable information, they were already in the vicinity in the morning of March 23 and yet they filed the case only at 1:50 p.m.,” Palma said.
The release order for Bagul, according to the prosecutors, was prompted by the delay in the turn over of the suspect by PDEA to the city prosecutor for inquest.
“The PDEA elements who arrested him at 3:30 p.m. of March 21 (a Friday) on Fernandez Street in Dagupan brought him for inquest beyond the reglamentary period of 36 hours,” Parayno said.
“This is just a simple case when it was finally filed, it was already more than 46 hours,” Palma added.
Palma added that witnesses attest to seeing the PDEA agents initially in the Japanese Garden, which is only 100 meters away from the prosecutor’s office, but still ate their lunch in a nearby restaurant.
“So, why did they wait for almost 2 o’clock in the afternoon to file the case when they were already in the vicinity in the morning?” Palma asked.
Parayno also suggested that the PDEA hierarchy must also investigate their own rank as to why they did not bring Bagul to the prosecution office for inquest in the morning of March 23.
Parayno also denied the claim of PDEA that the City Prosecutors Office was open only until 12 noon of March 21, insisting that their office was open the whole day with Prosecutor Karen Go and Prosecutor Trinidad Ferrer on duty.
Parayno also belied PDEA’s claim that Bagul’s release is linked to an earlier case involving the same suspect which was dismissed by the City Prosecutor.
Palma added that their decision on that earlier case was affirmed by the Regional State Prose-cutor.—LM
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
