Lawyer indicted for obstruction of justice

CEBU, Philippines - The Provincial Prosecutor’s Office has indicted a lawyer for obstruction of justice for cutting the hair of his client in order to prevent the witness from identifying the accused.

San Remigio Police Station chief Rully Monsanto Lauron has earlier filed a complaint for violation of Presidential Decree 1829, penalizing obstruction of apprehension and prosecution of criminal offenders against Atty. Abraham Rey Acosta before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

Provincial prosecutor Pepita Jane Petralba has approved the resolution recommending the filing of a case against Acosta after the latter failed to submit his counter-affidavit to answer the accusations against him.

Prosecutor 1 Ryan S. Gingoyon said he sent a subpoena to Acosta to submit his counter-affidavit but no controverting evidences were submitted in return.

Gingoyon was then constrained to resolve the instant complaint and recommend for the filing of the case before the proper court.

“It is no doubt that vital in every investigation is the identity of the accused as it first and foremost establishes the very involvement of the accused in the incident in question. In fact in court proceedings it becomes an indispensable requirement to produce the body of the accused so as to verify whether or not witnesses could really positively identify him,” Gingoyon in his resolution said.

In his affidavit, Lauron alleged that last March 10, at around 4 p.m., he was at his office at San Remigio Police Station, together with the relatives of murder victim Monaliza Cabataña.

Lauron said he was finalizing the murder complaint to be filed by the relatives of Cabataña against Jundydale Edaño and Gladys Sinangore, Acosta’s clients.

However, Acosta allegedly arrived at the police station and started questioning Lauron about the legality of the arrest of the accused and even inquired why his clients had not yet been formally charged within reglementary period of 36 hours and demanded the release of his clients.

Lauron added he did not heed the demands of Acosta and the inquest proceedings against the two accused was made at the Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Bogo.

But during a break, while the witness was about to identify the accused, the police official said he saw Acosta in a hallway hurriedly cutting the hair of Edaño.

Lauron said that Acosta cut the hair of the accused in order to prevent the witness from identifying him. — THE FREEMAN