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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DOJ set to appeal before higher court grant of bail to 6 accused in cases of 'missing sabungeros'

DOJ set to appeal before higher court grant of bail to 6 accused in cases of 'missing sabungeros'

Published Dec 29, 2023 08:41 am

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday, Dec. 29, said it will challenge before a higher court the ruling of the Manila regional trial court (RTC) which granted bail to six accused in the cases of missing "sabungeros" (cockfight enthusiasts) in 2022.

DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said during a briefing that he has already instructed the National Prosecution Service (NPS) to take action on the ruling of the Manila RTC's Branch 40 to grant bail on the six suspects.

Allowed to post bail by the RTC were accused Julie Patidongan, Gleer Codilla, Mark Carlo Zabala, Virgilio Bayog, Johnry Consolacion and Roberto Matillano, Jr. 

They were charged with six counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention in connection with the disappearance of six persons at the Manila Arena in January 2022.

Philippine National Police's (PNP) records show that there had been a total of 34 sabungeros who went missing since 2021.

“I had directed them (the prosecutors) to file the necessary certiorari cases for grave abuse of discretion against the judge who issued the bail,” Remulla said.

In the meantime, Remulla said a motion for reconsideration has been filed before the RTC over the decision to grant bail.

He said: "The trial court might be overstepping its bounds in granting bail for a crime that is akin to mass murder. We got 34 victims here. The court should look at itself first."

He lamented: “Why did the court just granted this (bail) to them as a matter of right when the safety of society is at stake when we know 34 people have been unaccounted for up to now? We have not seen the remains of these people who disappeared."

He pointed out that it also took “a lot of resources for government to catch them.”

“These people were caught through an operation of the PNP (Philippine National Police)  which lasted months,” he cited.

Meanwhile, Remulla said he will be meeting soon with the families of the victims. “We will schedule another dialogue in January,” he said.

 

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