MANILA, Philippines - The bid of the parents of a 16-year-old boy, who tagged Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr. in the killing of Infanta town Mayor Ruperto Martinez last year, to gain custody of their son has been stalled in the Court of Appeals (CA).
The 17th Division of the appellate court suspended on Friday the hearing on the petition for writ of amparo filed by the teenager’s father, Jaime Aquino after the Department of Social Welfare and Development filed a related case with a Manila court.
The CA ordered the petitioner and respondents to first comment on the petition for consolidation of the two cases.
In a decision last Feb. 19, the Supreme Court issued a writ of amparo ordering the CA to resolve Aquino’s petition.
Aquino, who was also tagged by his son in the murder case, asked the high court to order the Department of Justice (DOJ) to turn over the boy to him.
He said his son was “abused†by authorities and was only forced to tag Espino, Pangasinan first district Rep. Jesus Celeste and himself in the murder case.
Aquino, a writer of a weekly newspaper in their province, said the testimony of his son was not credible.
He also sought the issuance of a temporary protection order stopping the DOJ from proceeding with its preliminary investigation based on his son’s testimony.
Last week, the National Bureau of Investigation filed murder charges against Espino, Celeste and Aquino based on the witness’ alleged personal knowledge of the killing.
The 16-year-old told probers he was present during a meeting at a beach resort in Bolinao town when the governor planned the killing of Martinez.