PDEA moves to block release petition of 'Alabang Boys'

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) opposed yesterday a bid by two of the three prominent drug trafficking suspects known as the “Alabang Boys” to be released.

Acting on a petition for habeas corpus filed with the Special 13th division of Court of Appeals (CA) by their fathers, drug suspects Richard Brodett and Joseph Tecson told the court that their continued detention is unlawful.

PDEA director general Dionisio Santiago submitted to the CA a return of the writ through counsels from the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) and sought denial of the pleading of the two for lack of merit.

In a 15-page petition, PDEA said the resolution of investigating prosecutors recommending the release of the drug suspects is not yet final and that they could not avail of the remedy of habeas corpus as there are other remedies available.

The lawyer of Brodett and Tecson, Felisberto Verano Jr., asked the CA to order the release of his clients by virtue of a joint inquest resolution of the investigating state prosecutors from the Department of Justice (DOJ) that junked the charges filed by PDEA against his clients.

He said his clients should have been freed after the resolution was issued last Dec. 2 as they only signed a waiver of detention pending preliminary investigation.

But the PDEA argued that this would still be subject to automatic review by Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez before it can be considered as final and executory.        – Edu Punay