Bato slams DOJ prosecutors for not telling CIDG about weak evidence

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa slammed state prosecutors for not telling them they filed a weak complaint, despite state prosecutors saying that it's not part of their mandate.

Dela Rosa, in a press conference on Friday, said that Assistant State Prosecutors Michael Humarang and Aristotle Reyes could have informed the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group that they have filed a weak case before the DOJ dropped the complaint.

READ: Prosecutor stands by dismissal of rap vs Kerwin Espinosa, Peter Lim

"They could have said that they are not duty-bound to advise the CIDG that they have filed a weak case. Have some conscience," the police chief said in Filipino.

"These are all big-time drug lords," he added.

Prosecutors, however, rule over the merits and allegations cited in the complaints filed.

The Department of Justice and its state prosecutors reaped criticism when news hit that drug raps against Kerwin Espinosa, Peter Lim and a dozen others had been dropped in December.

Humarang and Reyes, in their resolution, said that they found inconsistencies in the testimonies of the PNP's sole witness, Marcelo Adorco.

They pointed out that Adorco gave differing accounts on "material matters" of the case such as dates and place of meeting with drug supplier, timeline of drug transactions and volume of drugs involved.

This led them to dropping the PNP-CIDG's complaint.

Reyes, on Thursday, also reiterated that the PNP did not file Espinosa's "confession" at a legislative hearing at the Senate and could not rule basing on it.

"We cannot find evidence for the CIDG if the CIDG does not want to submit it. Why would we get it for the CIDG?" he added.

READ: CIDG chief confident Espinosa, Lim will be indicted on drug raps

Police director Roel Obusan, CIDG chief, also admitted that they did not attach Espinosa's confession, as they were working on the theory that the alleged drug trader would admit to his crimes in his counter-affidavit.

Obusan said that they will attach the transcript of the said confession when they appeal their case before the DOJ.

Reyes and Humarang are facing a probe led by the National Bureau of Investigation on whether they committed offenses when they dropped the case.

READ: Aguirre orders NBI to probe prosecutors who junked Espinosa, Lim drug raps l Best Evidence: Case-building in the Philippines