Court of Appeals upholds arrest order vs ex-Batangas vice governor

MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals (CA) has upheld the arrest warrant issued by the Batangas regional trial court (RTC) against former Batangas vice governor Richard “Ricky” Recto in connection with the attempt on the life of former governor Armando Sanchez in June 2006.

In a 12-page decision issued last Tuesday, the CA’s Special Sixth Division affirmed the order of the Batangas RTC for Recto’s arrest without bail for charges of double murder with frustrated murder for the bombing of Sanchez’s vehicle.

Through Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier, the appellate court rejected Recto’s petition seeking to nullify the arrest warrant for supposed lack of basis.

“There is no doubt that a crime was committed. Two were dead and Governor Sanchez was wounded. The latter’s car also exploded. On their face, the statements (of the witnesses) establish that petitioner (Recto) was involved in the assassination plot against Governor Sanchez,” the decision read.

Associate Justices Sesinando Villon and Marlene Gonzales-Sison concurred with the ruling.

In June last year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed criminal charges against Recto and at least five others – lawyer Christopher Belmonte, Christina Antonio, Bettina Balderama, 1Lt. Angelbert Gay, and Lt. Junior Grade Kiram Sadava – for the incident. No bail was recommended for them.

Recto, elder brother of Sen. Ralph Recto and brother-in-law of incumbent Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto, was tagged as the alleged mastermind in the bombing of Sanchez’s Humvee vehicle on June 1, 2006 that badly injured him and killed his security aide PO2 Eric Landicho and driver Luisito Icaro.

According to DOJ findings, Recto was the principal accused by inducement in his alleged personal desire to unseat Sanchez and for funding the assassination attempt.

The other respondents, on the other hand, are principals by direct participation. Gay and Sadava are former soldiers associated with the Magdalo Group.