Dumpit denied bail again

CEBU, Philippines – Controversial policeman SPO1 Adonis Dumpit will remain under police custody after the court denied his motion for reconsideration to post bail for his murder case.

In her order, Regional Trial Court Judge Ester Veloso stated that the defense has not offered any new arguments which would warrant a reconsideration of the August 13, 2010 order denying Dumpit's motion to bail.

Veloso stated that "it is also relevant at this point to remind the defense that one of the admissions made during the pre-trial was that Dumpit shot and killed Ronron Go, with the qualification that it was in the performance of his duty as a police officer and that it was in self-defense."

Dumpit, through lawyer Julius Caesar Entice, asked the court to grant him bail arguing that the evidence of the prosecution was weak. In his motion, Dumpit claimed that the prosecution "miserably failed to prove the elements of the crime of murder beyond reasonable doubt".

The defense cited the alleged inconsistencies in the testimonies of the five prosecution witnesses. But the prosecution said that they have proven the crime more than enough through the testimony of Andres Satorre and the medico-legal findings.

Satorre testified in court that victim Ronron Go was unarmed and in no position to inflict harm upon Dumpit when he was shot.

However, Veloso said that the prosecution argued that the accused failed to present new or compelling arguments which would justify a revisiting of the order of the court.

"From the start of the hearing, the accused admitted to the shooting of Ronron Go," she said.

In a recent report the prosecution opposed the motion for bail filed by Dumpit for killing Go, a suspected robber, six years ago.

Ombudsman prosecutor Alfred Yann Augis said that the evidence against Dumpit is strong enough that the court should deny his plea for bail. -/BRP (FREEMAN)