Brillantes' conviction: Cuenco warns other fiscals; Mañalac blames staff, cabinets

Cebu City south district Rep. Antonio Cuenco yesterday said the conviction of assistant city prosecutor Rosendo Brillantes should be a lesson to all prosecutors in handling evidence.

This was the reaction of Cuenco, the vice-chairman of Committee on Dangerous Drugs, following the 18-year jail term handed down by the Sandiganbayan 4th Division to Brillantes.

The conviction of Brillantes was due to the loss of 200 grams of shabu while under his custody. The shabu was to be used the evidence against suspected bigtime drug dealer Allan Arriesgado who was later acquitted of the drug case.

Cuenco said he cannot tolerate any negligence, especially when it involves evidence against a bigtime drug pusher.

"I hope this is a lesson to them prosecutors," Cuenco said.

Meanwhile, assistant regional state prosecutor Vicente Mañalac yesterday said the conviction made by Sandiganbayan was harsh saying Brillantes did not commit any negligence.

Mañalac instead blamed the staff at the city prosecutor's office for negligence of taking custody of the evidence. He also blamed the substandard filing cabinets at the city prosecutor's office.

Brillantes' staff Teresita Corocoto was earlier implicated in the case of the lost of shabu in February 2001. The shabu was supposedly stored for safekeeping inside Corocoto's steel cabinet. - Ramil V. Ayuman/BRP