The fab five crime fighters

MANILA, Philippines - It took five women, lots of crispy pata, unwavering commitment to their sworn duty and a generous dose of smart lawyering to get a conviction in one of the biggest drug cases in the country. When the guilty verdict was handed down on the couple that operated the multi-million “shabu tiangge” in Pasig City last month, the five women that prosecuted the case could not help but shed tears of relief.

The team – composed of State Prosecutors Anjanette de Leon-Ortile, Marlette Balagtas, Amor Robles, Elizabeth Lacanilao-Berdal and Eden Wakay-Valdes – tasked to send Amin Imam Boratong and second wife Sheryl Molera Boratong to jail admits that they had been under tremendous pressure over the past months while prosecuting the controversial case. There were moves from within and outside the Department of Justice (DOJ) to delay the prosecution of the drug case, but their passion for and faithfulness to their oath as lawyers for the government pushed them to accomplish their mission.

They admit there were “orders” telling them not to attend hearings and not to oppose manifestations of the defense, and one removing them from the task force on illegal drugs of the National Prosecution Service. But since they were not replaced as prosecutors in the Boratong case, they continued to handle the case.

 “There was also a call received by one of us – an offer for money in exchange for skipping the hearing. We just took them all as a challenge,” admits Ortile, who headed the panel, when visited by STARweek in their office at the DOJ.

Defense lawyers also sued members of the prosecution panel for supposed offering false testimony after one of the witnesses recanted her testimony.

“It was obvious harassment but we did not stop. We were confident of our case, especially since we have air-tight evidence from AID-SOTF (Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force of Philippine National Police that arrested the Boratongs),” adds Balagtas.

But of course, security was a concern, especially when their families started to worry.

In Ortile’s case, her husband was advised by his friends to convince her to drop out of the case. “But he knows what I am fighting for, so in the end I still pursued the case.”

Robles, on the other hand, opted not to tell her family about her involvement in such a controversial case. Valdes says they regularly changed their routes going to and from work.

All five agree that they would not have been as courageous without security assistance from AID-SOTF, who provided police escorts during trial.

“They (AID-SOTF) were there since the beginning. And we were very satisfied with their assistance even if we did not ask for or expect it in the first place,” Ortile says.

In response, AID-SOTF legal officer chief lawyer Roque Merdegia Jr. says securing the five lady prosecutors was worth it. “We witnessed how they attended to this case during trial and they really boosted our morale. They deserve to be awarded by the PNP leadership,” he shares.

Last July 9, Judge Abraham Borreta of the Pasig regional trial court branch 154 sentenced Imam to life imprisonment and ordered him to pay a fine of P10 million for violating section 6 of R.A. 9165 (maintenance of drug den).

Sheryl, on the other hand, was also meted with life imprisonment and was ordered to pay a fine of P1 million for conspiring with Boratong in maintaining the drug den in Mapayapa Compound.

At the same time, she was also slapped with another life imprisonment penalty and another fine of P1 million for violation of section 11 of RA 9165 because 51.19 grams of shabu or methamphetamine hydrochloride was found in her possession when she was arrested in 2006.

The court said that it was convinced that the couple ran the shabu tiangge or a one-stop shop for drug users to buy and use shabu in a compound on F. Soriano Street in Barangay Sto. Tomas, a stone’s throw from the Pasig City Hall. The compound was raided by police in 2006 following a tip from an informant.

Asked how they handle stress not only during the Boratong case but also in other drug cases, they looked at one another and chorused: “We talk about it.”

Ortile says traveling is a common interest for all five so they make sure they join every summer outing of the office, the last time in Cagayan de Oro.

Robles says she releases stress through boxing in the gym and also through photography. Balagtas enjoys walking her dogs while Valdes loves shopping. Berdal says she used to play badminton.

A common purpose to serve in government and prove that state prosecutors are still dependable despite negative public perception brought them together. From the start, all five really wanted to practice their profession in government instead of joining a private law firm that they acknowledge would have been a more financially-rewarding option.

Ortile says working for the government for the past 15 years makes her sleep soundly every night, realizing it was a noble decision she had made when she joined the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) in 1994.

“It’s not as financially rewarding compared to private practice, but I really believe that PAO exemplifies the oath of lawyers,” she explains.

Robles and Balagtas recall joining PAO because they vowed to dedicate years of their career to public service after passing the Bar exams.

“Our years of experience as PAO lawyers did not only mold our skills in litigation but also made us realize that public service is truly rewarding,” adds Robles.

Berdal worked as branch clerk of court in a Caloocan City regional trial court before transferring to the DOJ as state prosecutor in 2001 and has always been involved in voluntary work, so joining the government wasn’t really a tough decision for her to make.

“My experience as clerk of court even molded me as a prosecutor since it was good training for me. As clerk of court, you always see arguments of both parties and you know how a judge would rule on them,” she shares.

Valdes, on the other hand, joined government because of her goal of becoming a justice in the Court of Appeals. She worked in the appeals court since 1999 before joining DOJ in 2005. Her stint in the CA also helped her improve her craft as a prosecutor in terms of “review and assessment of cases.”

Balagtas, for her part, believes that trust among all five of them was another key to their success in the Boratong case: “We were confident that none of us would forsake the team – walang iwanan, walang laglagan.”

That trust, all five agree, made it easier for them to handle the pressures and threats on their security considering the sensitivity of the case, which involved a drug trade that reportedly generated P9 million a day.Other keys to success in prosecuting the high-profile case, they admit, were food, fashion and fun.

A day before the promulgation of the Boratong case, their worries were about the outfit they would wear for the next day’s hearing and where to have their favorite crispy pata.

Ortile admits that they tried to take the controversial case as lightly as possible by “satisfying our cravings for our favorite food.”

“We don’t think of the pressure of this case that much. Dinadaan namin sa fiesta,” she confesses to STARweek.

The gang of five enjoyed bonding over lechon, crispy pata, pancit canton, chicken and pork adobo, halo-halo or coffee while preparing motions or manifestations for the case.

“If only they bribed us with food, then we would have considered!” Ortile laughs.

Courtroom fashion was another common interest all five prosecutors share.

Ortile initially wanted to be a physician, but wearing a doctor’s uniform was not motivating.

Robles admits that one of the reasons she pursued becoming a lawyer was nothing serious: She just wanted to wear a suit like lawyers on TV and in the movies.

“I was just amazed by the power dressing of lawyers,” she recalls.

Along with Robles, Ortile and Balagtas have been partners since they were at the PAO in Manila before they moved to the DOJ in 2000.

Their group had defied a requirement to wear a uniform in their former office, recalls Balagtas, since they really preferred wearing suits.

“We did not want to wear that uniform because when we went to Greenbelt (mall in Makati) we saw the ticket ladies in the cinemas wearing almost the same uniform,” she explains.

“We were really against wearing uniform for security reasons,” Ortile adds, explaining that a uniform would only make it easier for them to be recognized outside the office and that could jeopardize their security, considering the nature of the cases they handle.

A shared sense of humor sometimes found its way in court during hearings.

“Humor is really a big help to us. There are times when we laugh really loud during hearings,” explains Ortile.

Robles believes that being humorous in court hearings may be one of the privileges accorded by judges to lady lawyers.

“We all are really funny people,” Berdal says.

They believe that while their designation as special prosecution panel in the Boratong case had nothing to do with gender, their being women helped a lot in their success.

Women are better lawyers than men in many aspects, Balagtas argues. She believes that women are harder to please compared to men. They are also more attentive to and particular about details and are oftentimes more firm in their stands, Ortile adds.

To prove their point, they cited the appointment of Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera as DOJ secretary, which they agree was very timely. They see her as “a very caring mother fixing the problems in the house.”

“She knows where the problems are and she’s already addressing them. We’re really happy we have her here at DOJ,” Ortile admits.

Balagtas adds that Devanadera is very hands-on in managing the department.

“She’s very motherly. She cares for us and we have personal experiences to prove that,” Berdal alleges.

Ortile, as head of the panel, hopes that their success in the Boratong case would bring back the integrity of the National Prosecution Service that was tainted by the involvement of some of their colleagues in alleged bribery in the controversial drug case against three suspects from prominent families.

Upon recommendation of an independent fact-finding committee, President Arroyo in March ordered the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) to file administrative charges against the state prosecutors who approved and recommended the dismissal of the case against three drug suspects from prominent families dubbed the Alabang Boys.

Ortile hopes that the conviction of the Boratongs could be the vindication for prosecutors of DOJ.

“We are proud to be prosecutors. We were not affected by the public perception of state prosecutors being corrupt simply because we are not one of those. Not everyone here is like that,” she stresses.