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Prov’l dad scores alleged backer of 4 Chinese nationals nabbed with explosives


By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff Reporter

Owing to the snail-paced and highly suspicious turn of events on the multiple charges filed against  four Chinese nationals arrested with explosives, a  Sangguniang Panlalawigan member has asked his colleagues to take a closer look at the case pending the passage of an ordinance institutionalizing the creation of the provincial anti-private armed group council (PAGC).

The institutionalization of the anti-private armed groups ordinance under the Ilocos Norte government aims to identify and prosecute private armed groups and individuals, guns-for-hire, and other organized crime groups—to include the said four foreign nationals nabbed at a checkpoint in Pasuquin on May 28 for carrying unlicensed firearms and explosives.

The unlicensed guns seized from Dennis Co, Dang Hoi Yin, Lui Xin and Lei Guang Feng  are sophisticated and high-powered weapons prompting local authorities to surmise that the suspects might have been engaged in illegal activities.

In a privilege speech, SP member Vicentito M. Lazo on September 9, just before the adjournment of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session, accused a powerful politician from the first district of Ilocos Norte who is allegedly backing these Chinese nationals.

According to Lazo, the information came from a reliable source but he opted not to disclose the identity of the person for security reasons.

The suspicion was further intensified after Regional Trial Court Branch 19  Executive Judge Rosemarie Ramos inhibited herself from the case to clear doubts of partiality after rumors circulated that the judge allegedly received P2 million for the acquittal of the Chinese suspects.

The Chinese nationals were charged in the Bangui RTC with unlawful possession of firearms and explosives under Republic Act 9516. The charges are non-bailable offenses. The suspects were further charged of violating the election gun ban as they were apprehended during the election gun ban period of the midterm elections last May.

But weeks after Ramos’ voluntary inhibition, Lazo said no less than acting provincial prosecutor Maria Calija and the defense counsel, Atty. Ferdinand Agustin filed a motion for reconsideration, prompting Ramos to change her mind and reconsider her earlier decision.  

“There is more to this than can be seen,” Lazo theorized citing his more than 20 years of practice as lawyer, he has yet to see an order of inhibition reconsidered until now.

“It is my honest belief that Ramos should inhibit herself,” Lazo said.

The defense counsel said in an interview that the motion asking Ramos to reconsider her earlier decision was filed because if the executive judge inhibits, the case will be further delayed because the Supreme Court will have to designate another presiding judge.

But Lazo told members of the provincial board: “Under canons of judicial ethics, when a judge is disqualified under the canons of the rules, the judge has no choice but to disqualify him/her from presiding based on the grounds enumerated there upon. So far as inhibition is concerned, in Regional Trial Courts and in inferior courts, where it is not collegial and there is only one judge presiding, inhibition is always addressed to the sound discretion of the judge. Meaning the judge tries to weighs it. Will he or will he not inhibit. Only upon valid grounds should the judge inhibit himself and in this case, the judge indeed inhibited herself to erase doubts of her alleged partiality to acquit the accuse.”

“I don’t see why the prosecution joined in that motion because the right of the accused to a speedy trial is the look out of the defense counsel. That is why there is more to this than what it can be seen on the joint motion of the prosecution and the defense counsel,” Lazo added citing he got hold of some data and records to support his claim but chose not to reveal yet.

He later asked for an executive session to reveal his records as well as to discuss the board’s appropriate action prior to the passage of the anti-PAGS council ordinance.

In a phone interview on September 10, Calija clarified that the motion for reconsideration she filed earlier is separate from the motion for reconsideration of the defense counsel and was meant only to safeguard an intelligence officer who is the source of the “raw information” that around P20 million and not just P2 million is being used as a payout allegedly to settle the case.

In what was meant as a message of concern to authorities involved in the case, Calija admitted she has forewarned Ramos and the defense counsel about the “raw information” she gathered without identifying names and was “surprised” when Ramos “voluntarily inhibited herself”. Ramos had since asked the PNP Regional Office “to take appropriate action” against the intelligence officer who leaked the “raw” information.

“I was just trying to safeguard if there is truth to it but she [Ramos] blew up the issue and now information gathering has been compromised,” Calija said as she has also welcomed Ramos’ inhibition.

She said the police and the prosecution have been closely coordinating on the case to expedite the proceedings. 

Ramos, on the other hand, cannot be reached for comment as of press time.

To date, the suspects are currently detained at the Ilocos Norte Provincial Jail. For about four months now, the case has only moved to an initial hearing on September 12. The case was arraigned on June 6 where the suspects pleaded not guilty.

Nonetheless, Lazo reiterated efforts of the provincial board to craft legislations such as the anti-PAGs ordinance will become useless if justice is not rendered.

“I am not saying that they [Chinese nationals] should be convicted but we should closely monitor the case so that whatever decision is rendered, it should be beyond any doubt,” he ended.

Meanwhile, P/Sr. Supt. Gerardo Ratuita, provincial director of the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office (INPPO) said the issue involving a high-ranking politician allegedly backing the suspects is still being validated.

Aside from identifying their origin from various provinces in mainland China and tracing their passport numbers and the separate days of their arrival to the Philippines last year and early this year, Ratuita said the police has yet to gather more information from the suspects who could hardly speak English and require a Chinese mandarin interpreter when communicating with them. 

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