ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider QC prosecutor dismisses assault, other raps vs VP Sara, security detail

QC prosecutor dismisses assault, other raps vs VP Sara, security detail

Published Jan 28, 2025 04:49 am

The Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed for lack of evidence the direct assault, disobedience, and grave coercion complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte and her security detail by Dr. Van Jason Villamor of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Health Service.

VPSD_MB5.jpeg
Vice President Sara Duterte (MB file photo)

The copy of the 13-page resolution, dated Jan. 17, was obtained by the media on Tuesday, Jan. 28.

“Wherefore, in light of the foregoing considerations, the complaint for Violation of Article 148 (Direct Assault), Article 151 (Disobedience to Authority) and Article 286 (Grave Coercion), all of the Revised Penal Code, against respondents Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio and Col Raymund Dante Petina is recommended to be DISMISSED for failure to sustain a finding of prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction,” the resolution read.

Additionally, it also recommended the dismissal of complaints against “John Does and Jane Does” but “without prejudice to re-filing once their identities and whereabouts are ascertained.”

“The alleged commission of Direct Assault, Disobedience to Authority and Grave Coercion is not supported by evidence,” the resolution said.

“Interestingly, not one of the witnesses of PLiCol Villamor corroborated his claims regarding the purported attack, employment of physical force, intimidation, resistance, disobedience, violence and threats,” it added.

The resolution furthered that the witnesses did not narrate the encounter between the parties in their affidavits and they also did not detail Villamor’s behavior after the incident, “which could have persuaded us that he was threatened and intimidated, if at all.”

“The video footage submitted by him also negates his own asseverations. Being so, we are constrained to dismiss the complaint for insufficiency of evidence,” it stressed.

The complaint against Duterte, Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) head Colonel Raymund Dante Lachica, and other John Does stemmed from the disruption at the House of Representatives and Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) involving the detention of Duterte’s former chief-of-staff, Office of the Vice President (OVP) Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez.

To recall, Lopez was detained at the House of Representatives for being cited in contempt by the House good government committee that looked into Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds.

The scuffle between the PNP and Duterte and her aide happened as Lopez was being transferred to the VMMC because she collapsed in the House’s detention facility.

According to the video submitted by the PNP, Lachica was seen physically pushing Villamor and said such actions may have interfered with the lawful detention order by the House of Representatives.

The PNP alleged that it also disrupted the operations both in the detention center and the VMMC.

Related Tags

VP Sara Duterte Qc Prosecutors Office direct assault PNP Health service
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.