'Alabang Boys' camp to file habeas corpus before CA
01/05/2009 | 12 NN
MANILA, Philippines – The camp of the so-called “Alabang Boys" will challenge before the Court of Appeals (CA) the legality of the Philippine Anti-Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) custody over Richard Brodett, Jorge Jordana Joseph, and Richard Tecson.
In an interview on dzBB radio on Monday, lawyer Felisberto Verano Jr who represents the families of the three suspects said they will file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, asking the appellate court to order the three men’s release and to declare their detention illegal.
“Ang isasampa namin ay habeas corpus which means they will have to justify the detention of the boys. Kapag hindi nila ma-eexplain ay sila mismo ay mabibilanggo (We will file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus which means they will have to justify the detention of the boys. If they cannot do so, they themselves will be put in jail)," Verano said.
The lawyer, however, did not indicate when they will file the petition.
Verano’s camp also filed before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) their affidavit and arbitrary detention charges against PDEA, along with two other charges and a possible libel charge.
“Illegal ang kanilang pagde-detain sa mga bata, may libel din at isa at dalawang kaso pa (They illegally detained the boys)," Verano said without elaborating.
On Sept. 20, Brodett and Joseph were arrested in PDEA’s buy-bust operations in Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa City. Tecson was arrested during follow-up operations four hours later in Cubao, Quezon City.
The three were held for supposedly peddling high-end drugs, like ecstacy, cocaine, and marijuana.
But a separate radio report quoted Verano as saying that the men’s arrest were also illegal, saying that there were no buy-bust operations and that the drugs were only recovered a few hours after their arrest.
Quoting Verano, the report also said that Brodett had been mauled by PDEA agents inside his detention cell. The report said the Brodett family presented before the NBI photos of Brodett’s bruises he sustained during his detention.
In the dzBB interview, Verano also denied the families of Brodett, Joseph, and Tecson pulled connections and attempted to pay off some P50 million for Justice Department (DOJ) prosecutors to recommend the dismissal of the drug-related case against the three men and to order their release from PDEA’s custody.
“Yung P50 million, alam mo napakalaking halagang iyan. Mayroon bang family na makakaproduce ng P50 million? Kahit yung mga ultra rich na families natin hindi eh (Fifty million is too high for any family to come up with such amount. Can any family produce it? Even ultra-rich families cannot)," Verano said.
Meanwhile, radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported that the NBI special task force looking into the alleged bribe attempt started Monday and will be spearheaded by head agent Arnel Dalumpines.
In another dzBB interview, Dalumpines said the special panel will only look into the alleged bribe try and not on the merits of the drug case against Brodett, Joseph, and Tecson.
Dalumpines added that the task force will not also touch on the legality of PDEA’s arrest and detention of the three men.
“Sa amin kasi yung sa bribery lang na yan, yung merit ng kaso di na sa amin yan (We will only look into the purported bribe attempts and not into the merits of the drug case against the three men)," Dalumpines said. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV
In an interview on dzBB radio on Monday, lawyer Felisberto Verano Jr who represents the families of the three suspects said they will file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, asking the appellate court to order the three men’s release and to declare their detention illegal.
“Ang isasampa namin ay habeas corpus which means they will have to justify the detention of the boys. Kapag hindi nila ma-eexplain ay sila mismo ay mabibilanggo (We will file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus which means they will have to justify the detention of the boys. If they cannot do so, they themselves will be put in jail)," Verano said.
The lawyer, however, did not indicate when they will file the petition.
Verano’s camp also filed before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) their affidavit and arbitrary detention charges against PDEA, along with two other charges and a possible libel charge.
“Illegal ang kanilang pagde-detain sa mga bata, may libel din at isa at dalawang kaso pa (They illegally detained the boys)," Verano said without elaborating.
On Sept. 20, Brodett and Joseph were arrested in PDEA’s buy-bust operations in Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa City. Tecson was arrested during follow-up operations four hours later in Cubao, Quezon City.
The three were held for supposedly peddling high-end drugs, like ecstacy, cocaine, and marijuana.
But a separate radio report quoted Verano as saying that the men’s arrest were also illegal, saying that there were no buy-bust operations and that the drugs were only recovered a few hours after their arrest.
Quoting Verano, the report also said that Brodett had been mauled by PDEA agents inside his detention cell. The report said the Brodett family presented before the NBI photos of Brodett’s bruises he sustained during his detention.
In the dzBB interview, Verano also denied the families of Brodett, Joseph, and Tecson pulled connections and attempted to pay off some P50 million for Justice Department (DOJ) prosecutors to recommend the dismissal of the drug-related case against the three men and to order their release from PDEA’s custody.
“Yung P50 million, alam mo napakalaking halagang iyan. Mayroon bang family na makakaproduce ng P50 million? Kahit yung mga ultra rich na families natin hindi eh (Fifty million is too high for any family to come up with such amount. Can any family produce it? Even ultra-rich families cannot)," Verano said.
Meanwhile, radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported that the NBI special task force looking into the alleged bribe attempt started Monday and will be spearheaded by head agent Arnel Dalumpines.
In another dzBB interview, Dalumpines said the special panel will only look into the alleged bribe try and not on the merits of the drug case against Brodett, Joseph, and Tecson.
Dalumpines added that the task force will not also touch on the legality of PDEA’s arrest and detention of the three men.
“Sa amin kasi yung sa bribery lang na yan, yung merit ng kaso di na sa amin yan (We will only look into the purported bribe attempts and not into the merits of the drug case against the three men)," Dalumpines said. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV
