Groups protest release of police official in shabu lab case

BAUANG, La Union , Philippines  – La Union Bishop Artemio Rillera, along with a hundred of church workers, students and concerned sectors held a prayer rally in front of the regional trial court here yesterday protesting the alleged irregular release in jail of a police official accused as protector of the busted shabu laboratory in Bimmotobot, Naguilian, La Union.

Rillera expressed dismay over the grant of P1 million bail for Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo, former Dagupan City police chief, who was tagged by Dante Tomas Palaganas, the shabu lab caretaker, as alleged pro­tector of the illegal facility. 

“I suppose that the evidence submitted by the prosecution is very strong. The processing of the (Borromeo’s) bail seems anomalous and why it (bail) went to the municipal trial court. The case is under the jurisdiction of the RTC. There are irregularities in granting the bail because Borromeo did not even appear at the MTC,” Rillera said.

On Jan. 3, Borromeo’s representatives rushed the processing of the bail payment and did not even file a petition to reduce bail.

The rush was done allegedly to pre-empt the filing of the motion for reconsideration prepared by the prosecution panel.

Rillera said they will closely monitor the case even if Borromeo is already out on bail and they would like that RTC Judge Rose Mary Molina-Alim would review the pieces of evidence and the motion for reconsideration submitted by the prosecution. 

Molina-Alim cited in her 13-page order on Jan. 27 that she allowed Borromeo to post bail because the evidence of guilt against him in the shabu lab case is weak.

Prosecutors Danilo Bumacod, Gaudencio Valdez Jr. and Manuel Dulnuan filed a motion for reconsideration countering the order insisting that the evidence against Borromeo is strong. 

Valdez, who spoke during the rally, said the prosecution has been fighting hard in the shabu lab case and they are confident that the voluminous evidence would pin down the accused.