UP frat attack suspects refuse to enter plea

MANILA, Philippines - Five men charged in connection with the attacks in the University of the Philippines (UP) campus in Diliman, Quezon City in June refused to enter a plea during their arraignment on two lesser offenses filed against them.

Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) Branch 34 Judge Ma. Ludmila De Pio Lim on Thursday entered a plea of not guilty for Cheran Ricardo Cabrito Jr., Elias Miles Villanueva, Rudolf Gene Karlo Neral, Rannie Mercado and Sean Rodriguez on the malicious mischief and slight physical injury charges lodged against them.

Their lawyer, Alex Avisado, said they would move for the suspension of the proceedings in view of the order of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 80, which is handling the frustrated murder and illegal possession of ammunition charges filed against them.

RTC Branch 80 Judge Charito Gonzales ordered that the cases undergo preliminary investigation before the prosecutor’s office.

Avisado said the charges at the MeTC are related to the rest of the charges at the RTC and that the former should wait for the results of the preliminary investigation.

But during the scheduled hearing, private lawyer Angelo Tapales said the request for deferment of the arraignment of the accused is unjustified because none of the grounds for the suspension is present.

The cases stemmed from the two attacks on members of the Alpha Sigma fraternity in UP on June 18.