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BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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Tuesday, august 1, 2017
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MANILA – Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon requested the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate Justice undersecretary Reynante Orceo for downgrading the charges against Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) officers charged in the death of Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.
Orceo acted with “manifest partiality, evident bad faith and inexcusable negligence” in his decision to lower the charges against former CIDG Eastern Visayas chief Marvin Marcos and fellow officers to homicide from murder, Drilon said.
Downgrading the charges “caused undue injury to the republic and to our justice system,” he said. “What they did [was] a mockery of our justice system.”
The senator claimed Orceo violated Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Under Section 3(e) of the law, any government official or employee can be charged for “causing any undue injury to any party, including the government, in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.”
“It is very clear that officials led by Usec. Orceo colluded in order for the charges against Marcos and his men to be downgraded from murder to homicide so that they could post bail and be freed,” said Drilon.
A former Justice secretary, Drilon also said he will recommend that the Senate public order and justice committees charge Orceo.
“I would ask the committees handling this case that the Senate stand by its finding that Mayor Espinosa was murdered and that we must recommend the filing of appropriate criminal and administrative charges against Orceo and whoever colluded with him,” he said./PN
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