By Rey Panaligan
The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the transfer to the Makati City regional trial court (RTC) of the drug cases filed against an arrested former official of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and several others in connection with the “mega shabu laboratory” discovered in Virac, Catanduanes in 2016.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Ordered transferred on request by the Department of Justice (DOJ) were the cases filed against former NBI anti-illegal drugs unit chief lawyer Augusto Eric Isidoro, Xian Xian Wang, Pido Bonito, Paolo Uy, Jayson Gonzales Uy, Lorenzo Flores Piñera II, Kidot Paolo Wee Palisoc, Phung Yuan Estorco, and Sheng Wang.
The discovery of the "mega shabu laboratory" in Virac yielded 22.509 kilos of shabu, and more than 359 kilos of ephedrine and other chemicals.
In a resolution, the SC ordered the Virac RTC Branch 43 to forward the records of the cases to the Makati City RTC which, in turn, would raffle the cases to any of its branches “within three days from receipt of records."
The SC resolution stated:
“Direct the branch of clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 43 Virac, Cantanduanes to forward the records of the foresaid criminal cases to the Office of Executive Judge RTC, Makati City.
“Direct the Executive Judge, RTC, Makati City to cause the raffle of the subject criminal cases among the branches of the said court within three days from receipt of the record.
“Direct the judges to whom the said cases will be raffled to hear and decide the same with dispatch.”
The DOJ cited the alleged partiality of the Virac RTC judge and the “local political connection of the accused” in seeking the transfer of the cases.
