Over Release Of Drug Suspect: Malabon police chief, fiscal in court face-off

The Malabon police chief and the town’s prosecutor are poised to sue each other over the controversial release from police custody of an alleged big-time drug peddler. "Definitely, I’ll sue them for maligning my name," Malabon prosecutor Leandro Catalo told The STAR in an interview.

Catalo was reacting to published reports accusing him of ordering the release of Elmer Manansala, 35, a suspected drug pusher, after the latter allegedly gave him P250,000 in cash and a Nissan Sentra car.

Reports in a broadsheet (not The STAR) and a tabloid, quoting an unnamed source, accused Catalo of ruling in favor of the suspected drug trafficker in exchange for cold cash and a car.

Catalo charged Malabon police chief Superintendent Ernesto Fojas of feeding "malicious" and "unfounded" accusations against him to the media.

"But I also need to preserve the integrity of my office and my reputation as well as that of my family," Catalo said, as he vehemently denied receiving anything from the suspect.

Catalo said he is considering filing libel suits against the two newspapers and Fojas in Samar or Leyte, his home province.

"Under the law, I am entitled to file charges against them in places where the two publications reach," Catalo said.

Fojas, however, just shrugged off Catalo’s statements.

Fojas said he is set to file charges against Catalo, Assistant Prosecutor Marcos Diasen Jr., and Prosecutor Ramon Rodrigo with the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman.

The three prosecutors were the authors of a resolution dismissing the drug trafficking case against Manansala "for lack of merit."

The police arrested Manansala last Jan. 27 along Gov. Pascual Avenue in Malabon, and 700 grams of shabu were allegedly seized from his car (plate number CKJ-700).

Manansala, on the other hand, denied the accusation, claiming he was only buying hamburger when the police arrested him in front of a burger stand.

The prosecutors, in a three-page resolution, said "the seizure made on the respondent’s car is illegal so that any items or goods confiscated are inadmissible as evidence for any purpose in any proceedings."

Catalo maintained that the decision was in accordance with the law. – Pete Laude