Supreme Court urged to have Quirino grandson tried for murder

MANILA, Philippines - A grandson of President Elpidio Quirino and his co-accused must face a full-blown murder trial before the Manila Regional Trial Court, according to the family of their alleged victim.

The family of slain businessman Federico Delgado asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision dismissing the murder charges against Luisito Gonzales and his driver, Antonio Buenaflor.

“Petitioners come humbly before the Court, asking it to reconsider a decision upon a case which, when viewed in its entirety and not merely through the lens of the Solicitor General’s failure to timely participate in the instant proceedings, deserves a weighing of its merits in the very least,” read the motion.

The Delgado family said in the interest of justice, the SC should resolve the appeal on its merits, not on procedural errors.

“We proposed to show that herein petitioners’ case actually falls under the first exception mentioned by the Court itself that a private complainant or offended party in the criminal case may file a petition directly with the Court where there is denial of due process to the prosecution and the State or its agents refuse to act on the case to the prejudice of the State and the private offended party,” read the motion.

Last Aug. 7, the SC upheld the Court of Appeals ruling dismissing the murder charges against Gonzales and Buenaflor.

Only the Office of the Solicitor General may bring or defend actions on behalf of the state in all criminal proceedings before the appellate courts, the SC said. – Edu Punay