Judge threatens Las Piñas prosecutor with contempt

MANILA, Philippines - A Manila judge has threatened to cite in contempt an assistant prosecutor from the Las Piñas City Regional Trial Court for taking into his custody the 14 Galil assault rifles confiscated during a raid on Oct. 6 in the possession of a Chinese trader.

Executive Judge Amor Reyes, of the Manila RTC Branch 21 gave assistant state prosecutor Marion Almero of Las Piñas RTC, five days to explain why he should not be cited for contempt for his action.

Almero took into his custody the 14 Galil firearms confiscated from trader Herbert Tan Tiu, 43, after agents of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) charged the suspects with illegal possession of firearms.

Superintendent Remus Medina, head of the NCRPO’s regional police intelligence and operation unit (RPIOU) pleaded that only the photos of the Galil rifles be turned over to Almero as evidence. But the prosecutor denied Medina’s request and insisted that the firearms be forwarded to his office. A certain Liza Rivera, received the evidence for Almero.

Reyes said that Almero’s action is irregular as she insisted that the firearms should be turned over to her chamber since it was she who issued the search warrant against Tiu.

“Almero is hereby directed to explain within five days from receipt hereof why he should not be cited in contempt of Court for making such directive despite the clear provisions of the 2008 Revised Manual for Prosecutor, page 54-55,” said Reyes in her one-page order dated Oct. 12, a copy of which was furnished Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

Reyes also gave Almero five days to turn over the said confiscated items to her chamber for proper storage, preservation and disposition.

Reyes’ order was forwarded Friday to Almero’s office by Inspector Bernard Pagaduan, the leader of the NCRPOs raiding team who arrested Tiu on Oct. 6.