The Regional Trial Court has acquitted Insp. Jose Liddawa and SPO2 Lorenzo Pitogo from charges of planting evidence for a case of illegal drugs against a taxi driver.
RTC judge Macaundas Hadji Rasul, in his six-page decision, found the case wanting of evidence due to inconsistencies of the testimony of the complainant, who also has a record of conviction for illegal drugs possession.
The case stemmed from a drug raid conducted by Liddawa and his men against the complainant, Dario Lopez, of barangay Sapangdaku in Cebu City sometime in April 1997. Liddawa was then assigned at the Guadalupe Police Station.
Liddawa, Pitogo and other policemen raided Lopez’s house for possession of illegal drugs, resulting in Lopez’ arrest. A case against Lopez was filed in court resulting in his conviction to a maximum of 4-year imprisonment. He was later granted probation.
Lopez, despite his conviction, claimed that the evidence confiscated from him was planted. Thus, he filed a case for violation of Section 24 of the Republic Act 6425 against Liddawa, Pitogo and several other policemen involved in the raid. The court however only acquired jurisdiction on the case of Liddawa and Pitogo.
Lopez claimed that he was not informed what was the raid all about but he admitted that the police showed to him a piece of paper, which he was told was a search warrant for illegal drugs. — Fred P. Languido/RAE