Mother, siblings fight for custody of teen witness
SAN CARLOS CITY–The mother of the 17-year-old supposed witness in the planning of the murder of former Infanta Mayor Ruperto Martinez murder case has decided to fight for her son’s custody.
Esther Aquino, along with her other children Jennelyn and Jerickson, filed a petition at the Regional Trial Court here for habeas corpus with prayer for preliminary mandatory injunction and mandatory injunction against Marcelo Nicomedes Castillo in his capacity as Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 1.
During to the hearings on December 5 and 6 before Branch 57 Presiding Judge Renato Pinlac, the petitioners’ counselsneo claimed that the mother wasn’t allowed to see his son Jestin (Not Justin as erro usly reported earlier) when she visited at the DSWD Field Office 1 in San Fernando City, La Union.
DSWD Field Office 1 Assistant Regional Director Marlene Peralta, representing Castillo during the Dec. 5 hearing, responded that “the minor was not psychologically prepared.”
She added that Jestin was surrendered to their office from the Lingayen Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office by virtue of a letter dated November 28, 2013.
According to the respondent’s counsel, Jestin, by virtue of an order dated Dec. 3, has been turned over to DSWD-National Capital Region at 11:00 p.m. of Dec. 3.
Jestin ran away from Camp Crame where he was being kept under the Witness Protection Program.
Respondent Castillo and Jestin himself were not present in the proceedings.
In the Dec. 6 hearing, the judge ordered Castillo and Jestin to appear in the next hearing on Dec. 9, otherwise Castillo may be charged for contempt.
“All that the court wanted to know is the validation of restraint over the minor,” said Pinlac, stressing that the presentation of the respondent and subject will not necessarily result to the recovery of parental authority over Jestin.
He added, “Once the minor is here, no one can touch him.”–Johanne R. Macob
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