La Union judge, court clerk falsified cop's bail papers?

SAN FERNANDO, La Union, Philippines  – Prosecutors have filed criminal and administrative charges against a judge and a regional trial court (RTC) clerk before the Office of the Ombudsman and the Supreme Court (SC) for allegedly falsifying the bail papers of a police official tagged as protector of a shabu laboratory busted in the province in 2008. 

The complaints against Judge Romeo Perez of the Bauang Municipal Trial Court (MTC) and Samuel del Rosario, clerk III of RTC Branch 33, were filed separately with the SC and Ombudsman last Feb. 25.

Prosecutors Danilo Bumacod, Gaudencio Valdez Jr., and Manuel Dulnuan Jr., Chief Inspector Erwin Dayag and Senior Police Officer 4 Oscar Corpuz accused Perez and Del Rosario of grave misconduct and falsification of official documents in processing the bail of Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo.

Borromeo was implicated as the alleged protector of the shabu lab dismantled in Barangay Bimmotobot, Naguilian town in July 2008. 

Perez and Del Rosario, the complainants alleged, made it appear that Borromeo was physically present at the MTC and personally processed the papers for his P1-million bail bond. 

However, it turned out that Borromeo was not present at the MTC as there was no order for the warden of the La Union provincial jail to bring Borromeo to the court for the processing of his cash bond. 

“Borromeo could not possibly appear within the office hour of Feb. 1 before the MTC as his jail record shows that the last time he was escorted in court was on Oct. 22, 2010 and he stayed at the jail until his eventual release at 5:30 p.m. (of) Feb. 1, 2011,” stated the complaint. 

“The act of Judge Perez in making it appear that Borromeo appeared before the MTC on Feb. 1 to personally sign and give his oath and Del Rosario’s act of making it appear that the fingerprint impressions of Borromeo were taken at the MTC constitute falsification by (a) public officer or employee,” it added.

The proper way, according to sources, was for Borromeo, escorted by jail guards, to go to the MTC to process his papers and personally get his release order from the judge after paying the P1-million bail. 

Borromeo should have also filed a motion to reduce the amount, they added.  

The one who paid Borromeo’s bail in cash was SPO4 Joseph Daroy, assigned to the Mangaldan municipal police in Pangasinan.

The prosecutors alleged that Del Rosario, despite being an RTC clerk, took part in the processing of Borromeo’s bail despite the presence of MTC personnel to do the job.

Worse, they said, Del Rosario allegedly made it appear that the fingerprints of Borromeo were taken at the MTC. 

The STAR tried to reach Perez and Del Rosario for comment but failed.