Castro sues officemate for neglect

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro filed civil cases before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas-7 against an assistant prosecutor of the Cebu City and both civil and criminal cases against personnel of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Castro filed two civil cases against assistant prosecutor Liceria Rabillas for negligence of duty and conduct unbecoming of a public official for entering the wrong date on a court document.

She said on January 22, 2011 she was in her cubicle at the Place of Justice resolving cases and waiting for her daughter to arrive.

Moments later Police from Cebu City Police Office went to the prosecution office looking for the inquest-prosecutor on duty. With them was an arrested person and his witnesses to have the counter-affidavit and the affidavit of the witnesses subscribed.

Castro declined to have the document subscribed as she was not on duty and she was the prosecutor who handled the case. She told them to wait for an inquest-prosecutor on duty.

She said after the documents were subscribed by Rabillas they came back to her cubicle. SPO1 Jeffrey Diola told her that since she handled the case she could receive it as it was Saturday and her secretary was not there.

Castro said she checked the document and noticed Rabillas was the one who administered the oath of the counter-affidavit and the affidavit of the witnesses.

“I was not sure of the date then so I looked at the date indicted in the counter-affidavit of the witnesses which were subscribed on January 21, 2011 by the afore-named prosecutor.  I then received the documents stamped it ‘RECEIVED’ January 21, 2011, the date indicted in the counter-affidavit and the witness’s affidavit,” Castro stated.

Castro added Rabillas stressed that she was the administering officer of the document and that she did it on January 22 implicating that Castro altered the date.

“As compared to prosecutor Rabillas’ official duty to administer oath which is one of the several duties and responsibilities of a public prosecutor, Prosecutor Rabillas should be made answerable for negligence of duty tantamount to a conduct prejudicial to public interest,” Castro said.

Rabillas assured that she administered the taking of oath of the counter-affidavit and witness affidavit on January 22, 2011 and not January 21, 2011.

Meanwhile, Castro filed case against Ray Ford Yap for criminal cases for the violation of Article 177 otherwise known as usurpation of authority or official functions, violation of Article 236 or anticipation of duties of a public office and four administrative cases for undue intervention, conduct unbecoming of public official, violation of RA 6713 or violation of the code of ethics and conduct of public official and grave misconduct.

Castro said Yap called her up very angry accusing her of mishandling the case of Patrick George et al vs. Adnan Sayed Anwar Ali Alkazim which she dismissed for lack of basis.

She said the incident was reported to executive Judge Meinrado Paredes and even reported to the Fuente Police Station.

Castro alleged that Yap used three civilian agents during the entrapment because Yap unlawfully and illegally operated against Alkazim who was arrested for estafa and illegal recruitment. (FREEMAN NEWS)