Court orders NBI, HPG: Join March 31 hearing

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Soliver Peras has ordered the NBI-7 director and the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group Personnel Holding and Accounting Section chief to appear in court on March 31.

The motion for the issuance of alias arrest warrants against Chief Superintendent Romualdo Iglesia, Senior Inspector Joselito Lerion and Police Officer 1 Alex Bacani for the murder of lawyer Noel Archival and his two aides would be heard that day.

An alias warrant is an order issued when the defendant has failed to appear before the court. It has no expiry date.

Peras issued the order on March 12, more than two months since Judge Maximo Perez of Argao RTC inhibited from the case.

“As Executive Judge of RTC, Cebu City, which is the pairing court of RTC, Argao, and RTC, Barili, the undersigned resolves to take cognizance of this motion,” read Peras’ order on the 8:30 a.m. hearing.

He directed the NBI regional director or his “authorized representative” and the chief of the PNP-HPG Personnel Holding and Accounting Section to be present for the said hearing.

Peras’ order came after an ex-parte motion to issue alias warrant of arrest against the three accused was filed by the private prosecutors on the ground that Perez had inhibited from handling the case on December 18.

Peras also directed the RTC Argao branch clerk of court to transmit the records of the case to his sala “with certification that the order of inhibition of Judge Maximo Perez...had already become final, so that the same be included in the raffle court-wide to a regular court.”

Perez decided to let go of the case to avoid “claims of bias or prejudice.”

The three policemen, who used to be connected with HPG-7, were identified as suspects in the ambush-slay of Archival, Candido Miñoza, and driver Alejandro Jayme.

The victims were killed while they were traversing the highway in Barangay Coro, Dalaguete, Cebu on February 18, 2014.

Before he inhibited from the case, Perez issued last December 11 a warrant of arrest against the three policemen, who at that time were believed to still be in a holding center in Camp Crame in Manila.— Liv G. Campo/RHM (FREEMAN)