Osmeña’s counsel hits state prosecutors for judge’s inhibition

The legal counsel of former Cebu Vice Governor John Gregory Osmeña scored the state prosecutors for asking Regional Trial Court Judge Mienrado Paredes to inhibit from handling the case against his client.

Osmeña is charged for alleged coddling of the people behind the illegal importation of the P6 billion worth of pseudoephedrine seized at the Cebu International Port four years ago.

Lawyer Edgar Gica said that the state prosecutors should have presented additional evidence to convince the court that they have probable cause to indict his client of the crime.

According to Gica, Paredes has all the rights to pose questions to the prosecutors and require them to present evidence for him to rule whether to issue an arrest warrant against the accused.

However, instead of presenting evidence, the prosecutors headed by Archimedes Manabat from the Department of Justice in Manila opted to ask for the judge’s inhibition.

Gica explained that they did not comment nor opposed the inhibition motion to avoid being misinterpreted.

He said they believe that there was really no probable cause against his client and that they are willing to face the case anywhere regardless of who is the judge handling the case.

Paredes inhibited himself from the case even if he insisted his impartiality. In fact, his inhibition was already approved the other day by RTC Executive Judge Fortunato De Gracia, Jr.

The records of the case were already returned to the clerk of court for re-raffling. Gica said his client, who is now in America, is willing to face the charges should the new judge find probable cause for the issuance of the arrest warrant.— Fred P. Languido/LPM