Fadullon tasked to lead new panel that will look into MR filed by PNP-CIDG
By Moira Encina and Mar Gabriel
Eagle News Service
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre has instructed the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the possible violations of the law of members of the prosecution panel that junked the drug charges against Kerwin Espinosa and others.
Through Department Order No. 152, Aguirre gave the directive to NBI Director Dante Gierran days after the DOJ resolution junking the charges against Espinosa, Peter Lim, Peter Co, Lovely Impal, Marcelo Adorco, Max Miro, Ruel Malindagan, Jun Pepito and other John Does was reported in the media.
The resolution, dated as early as December 2017, was signed by Assistant State Prosecutors Michael John Humarang and Aristotle Reyes.
OIC Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Rassendell Rex Gingoyon recommended approval of the resolution and Acting Prosecutor General Jorge Catalan approved it.
Aguirre also gave the directive as President Rodrigo Duterte, through Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, expressed his dismay over the turn of events, noting that Espinosa himself in particular had confessed to being a drug lord in a hearing by the Senate in 2016.
Aguirre also designated Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Fadullon as acting prosecutor general in the case.
Fadullon will lead a new panel of prosecutors that will look into the motion for reconsideration filed by the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the December 2017 resolution.
The new panel is composed of Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, Assistant State Prosecutor Ana Noreen Devanadera and Prosecution Attorney Herbert Calvin Abugan.
“Further, Director Gierran shall submit a report to the Office of the Secretary of Justice on its current activities related to the implementation of this order,” Aguirre said.
In junking the drug charges against Espinosa and the others, the first panel ruled that Adorco was not a credible witness given the alleged inconsistencies in his testimonies.
