Niño pleads not guilty to drug raps

Actor and businessman Angelo "Niño" Muhlach entered a plea of not-guilty in response to the illegal-drug charges filed against him during his arraignment before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (QCRTC) yesterday.

Muhlach was charged with violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, after operatives of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) arrested him at a shopping center in Quezon City on March 13.

Mulach’s arraignment should have been consummated in April, but Muhlach was late for his appointment with QCRTC Judge Rafael Lagos.

Irritated, Lagos issued a warrant of arrest against Muhlach as a result of his tardiness. The arrest order was lifted yesterday, after Muhlach’s lawyer managed to convince the court that her client had not intentionally snubbed the earlier arraignment proceedings and that Muhlach will cooperate fully with the court procedings.

Muhlach’s appeal for a reinvestigation of his case was junked by Lagos because the motion had been filed after the prescribed time.

The court said a motion for reinvestigation should be filed five days after being informed that a lawsuit was filed against the accused.

Muhlach’s lawyer filed the motion months after police pressed charges against her client.

The judge scheduled Muhlach’s next hearing for July 27 at 9 in the morning.

Muhlach was arrested by operatives of the Regional Police Intelligence Office of the NCRPO after they confiscated 1.9 grams of shabu from him on March 13 at a commercial shopping center at the Eastwood-Libis area of Quezon City.

After his arrest, Muhlach immediately posted a P200,000 bail bond.

Muhlach, now a businessman who owns the food chain outlet "Megamelt," reached the peak of stardom in the1970s for his performance as a child actor co-starring with the late Fernando Poe Jr. and Dolphy Quizon. – Karlo Baylosis