Alabang Boys case submitted for resolution

MANILA, Philippines - The independent panel created to investigate allegations of bribery in the controversial case against three drug pushers dubbed as the “Alabang Boys” has submitted to President Arroyo its findings last Thursday.

Members of the three-man panel, led by retired Supreme Court associate justice Carolina Griño-Aquino refused to make public the results of their 10-day marathon hearing held last month, saying it is now in the hands of the President.

Aquino said she met with two other members of the panel – retired Sandiganbayan justice Raoul Victorino and San Beda law school dean Fr. Ranhilio Aquino – last Wednesday and consolidated their separate findings on the issue.

The three were able to come up with a common position and forwarded it immediately to the Palace.

Aquino said that they reviewed all documents and testimonies from over 20 witnesses called during the 10-day investigation, which concluded last Feb. 18.

During the probe, the panel investigated the bank accounts of state prosecutors that handled the case as well as of Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor, who was also implicated in the alleged bribery.

Prosecutors involved in the case had already denied receiving bribe.

State Prosecutor John Resado and Senior State Prosecutor Phillip Kimpo said under oath that they recommended the dismissal of the case and the release of drug suspects Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph and Joseph Tecson through joint inquest resolution dated Dec. 2, 2008 because of the “tremendous defects” in the case filed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

The PDEA had maintained that the arrest of the three suspects on Sept. 20, 2008 in successive operations of its Special Enforcement Service led by Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino at the Ayala-Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City and Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City were legal and that all three were not deprived of their constitutional rights.

The PDEA enforcement unit’s buy-bust operation conducted on suspected drug pushers Brodett, Tecson, and Joseph yielded the illegal drug Ecstasy, marijuana and cocaine.

The PDEA filed drug trafficking charges against the suspects but Resado issued the Dec. 2 resolution that dismissed the charges due to technicalities.

Kimpo and Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño also approved Resado’s resolution.

The suspects remain under detention with the PDEA but DOJ prosecutors said they should have been released due to faulty evidence.