PRESIDENT Gloria Arroyo has ordered the filing of bribery charges against State Prosecutor John Resado, who is accused of having been bribed by the “Alabang Boys” to get them off the hook following their arrest by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency last September for drug pushing.
Resado wrote the Dec. 2 resolution dismissing the case against Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph and Joseph Tecson, popularly known as the Alabang Boys.
Arroyo, who named herself “anti-drug czar” after the resolution triggered the public bickering between the Department of Justice and PDEA, also ordered charges of negligence filed against Senior State Prosecutors Philip Quimpo and Jovencito Zuño for their “cursory conduct of the review” of Resado’s resolution.
She also reversed Resado’s resolution and instead ordered Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to file criminal charges against the Alabang Boys.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Friday the President’s orders were recommended by an independent fact-finding body she created in January. The panel, headed by retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Carolina Griño-Aquino, submitted its recommendations on March 12.
Remonde said the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission was directed to file the bribery charges against Resado.
The President also ordered the further investigation of Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor for possible violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the press secretary said. On Dec. 19 Blancaflor had pressed PDEA to release the suspects.
Arroyo also gave PDEA 30 days to complete the investigation of its agents who allegedly manhandled Brodett during his arrest at the Ayala Alabang subdivision in Muntinlupa.
Marine Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino, head of PDEA’s Special Enforcement Service who exposed the alleged bribery, was likewise ordered investigated for “taking into himself the job of prosecutor” by releasing Patrick El Khoury, the driver of the vehicle where the drug deal was consummated.
The President also asked PDEA to justify its agents’ failure to strictly follow the rules on the marking, inventory and photo-documentation of the seized drugs as required by law.
PDEA seized shabu, cocaine, Ecstasy, marijuana as well as diazepam or Valium from the Alabang Boys.
The PDEA said Arroyo’s orders constituted a “partial victory” for the agency.
“We are happy with the decision and we will abide by the directives issued by the President,” PDEA Director General Dioniosio Santiago said in a statement released Friday night.
On the President’s order to PDEA to complete its Manual of Anti-Drug Operations, Santiago said the manual has been completed and copies will soon be distributed to anti-drug units.
“We will be more careful this time during the conduct of anti-drug operations,” he said.
Besides Aquino, the independent panel consisted of Raoul Victorino, former Court of Appeals justice and a Judicial and Bar Council member, and Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, dean of the San Beda College of Law.