Gatdula, lawyer skip amparo hearing

MANILA, Philippines - Former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Magtanggol Gatdula and his lawyer failed to attend yesterday’s court hearing on a petition he filed seeking a writ of amparo, prompting the judge to threaten to deny his petition. 

Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 26 Judge Silvino Pampilo Jr. said he will deny the petition if Gatdula and his lawyer, Abraham Espejo, fail to attend today’s hearing, the last one before he makes a decision.

Pampilo and Assistant Solicitor General Amparo Cabotaje-Tang waited one and a half hour before starting yesterday’s hearing.

Espejo said there was a “mix-up” in their calendar. “We thought it was just a submission only for today of the memorandum,” he said in a text message to The STAR.

Gatdula asked the court to issue the writ to stop Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, NBI officer-in-charge Nonnatus Rojas and NBI deputy director Reynaldo Esmeralda from filing charges against him for the Feb. 21 attack on Esmeralda.

De Lima and Esmeralda said the ambush is connected with the Noriyo Ohara case, wherein the Japanese national was allegedly kidnapped by NBI agents. Gatdula and other NBI officials and agents were charged with kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

Meanwhile, Tang asked another judge hearing Gatdula’s case to inhibit himself, alleging that he is biased against them.

She said Manila RTC Branch 8 Judge Felixberto Olalia “has shown the appearance of bias and partiality” by issuing “an entirely new” 20-day temporary restraining order when Gatdula’s camp asked for an extension of the initial 72-hour TRO against De Lima and the Department of Justice panel investigating the Ohara case.

Tang said “a lapsed TRO may no longer be extended” and by issuing a new 20-day TRO, he allegedly violated a provision of the Rules of Court that states “in no case shall the total period of effectivity of the (TRO) exceed 20 days, including the original 72 provided herein.”