Press statement ng NPC vs DOJ

NAGPALABAS ng press statement si National Press Club President Jerry s. Yap, para tuligsain ang DOJ kaya naman binigyan ng espasyo ng mga kuwago ng ORA MISMO, ito.

Basahin!

 DOJ acted like a court to absolve ex-govs, lawyer, mayor from radio man’s slay.

 The Department of Justice arrogated unto itself the discretion that belongs to the court—the reason killing of journalists never sleeps.

 It unreasonably absolved former Palawan governor Joel T. Reyes, former Marinduque Jose Antonio Carreon, former Palawan administrator Romeo Serratubias, Reyes’ son who is incumbent Coron town mayor Mario Reyes, Arturo Regalado and Percival Lecias.

Those indicted by the DOJ panel were Rodolfo Edrad Jr. alias “Jun Bomar” who was the close aide of ex-governor Carreon, Armando Noel, Dennis Aranas and Arwin Arandia.

The job of the DOJ is only to determine whether there is sufficient probability that the ex-governors and others are likely the masterminds behind the murder of radioman Doctor Jerry Ortega last January 24 in Puerto Princesa City.

 And in so determining probability or “probable cause” in legal parlance, the DOJ has no power to absolve.  Its power is only to say whether there is insufficient probability to warrant a sacrifice of the presumption of innocence of those being charged to ensure that those charged are not unduly prejudiced by the warrant, detention, trial, and attorney’s fees.

The DOJ panel that absolved the respondents was composed of Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Edwin Dayog, Assistant State Prosecutor Bryan Jacinto Cacha and Atty. John Benedict Medina.

The evidence presented by the police investigators to the National Press Club are as follows:

 1. There is this extrajudicial confession of Rodolfo “Jun Bomar” Edrad Jr., who was the aide of the former Marinduque governor.

In essence, Edrad confessed he was asked by ex-governor Reyes and ex-governor Carreon to plot the murder of Ortega by using hired guns from Quezon province because using triggermen known in Palawan is risky to discovery.

So that Edrad said he took in Armando Noel, Dennis Aranas, Arwin Arandia and the gunman identified as Marlon Recamata Dichaves.

He also said he procured a gun right in Puerto Princesa because it was too risky to bring gun on the plane to the city.

So that Edrad said he contacted Arturo Regalado and Percival Lecias who were close aides of former governor Reyes to procure for him a gun.

 2. There is also this testimony of Regalado that said that he was the one contacted to by Edrad to procure the gun and that he secured the gun from Atty. Serratubias.

Regalado said Edrad sent him money for the buying of the gun through a remittance agency and there are receipts showing the remittances to buy gun and “for the boys.”

This is a separate evidence to support the theory of conspiracy.

 3. There is this defense of Serratubias that the gun was his but that it was bought from him.