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[av_heading heading=’Look into Cuadra, Ta-ala cases, Justice dep’t told ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY TIFFANY ANNE TAN
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BACOLOD City – A unit of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) asked the Department of Justice to reinvestigate two criminal cases.
The Task Force Crusaders (TFC) was seeking “clarification” on the dismissal of the charges against drug suspect Gerard Cuadra and the release of suspected firearms smuggler Brian Ta-ala.
Two judges here dismissed the charges for drug possession and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition against Cuadra. The son of convicted drug trafficker Jose Kim “Boy” Cuadra was released Sept. 21.
Ta-ala, who allegedly had a client planning to assassinate President Rodrigo Duterte, was caught with his aide in Barangay Tangub in August. He was charged with gun smuggling but was able to post bail.
TFC national deputy commander John Chiong said the Justice department started looking into Cuadra’s case on Oct. 5 and into Ta-ala’s case right after he told Undersecretary Raymund Mecate about it on Oct. 13.
“Ngaa sa duha lang ka stick sang marijuana, gaka-life sentence ang tawo?” asked Chiong, a resident of this city. “Kon may kwarta ka lang pwede ka gali makapa-dismiss, kag kon pigado ka ma-life sentence ka.”
The TFC is focusing on cases related to corruption, crimes and drugs.
Chiong said the Justice department may release the results on or before Oct. 26. “Mabal-an ta kon diin dapit ang may diperensya: ang aton enforcement, prosecution, ang judiciary?” he said.
Gerard Cuadra, 38, was caught here on May 27. Suspected shabu amounting to P1.5 million, drug paraphernalia, and several firearms and ammunition were seized from him.
On May 30 he was charged with violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
Regional Trial Court judges Eduardo Sayson (Branch 54) and Therese Blanche Bolunia (Branch 47) dismissed the charges due to “insufficient evidence.”
Cuadra’s father, convicted of drug trafficking in July 2006, was serving a life sentence at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
On the other hand, Ta-ala and aide Wilford Palma were caught as they claimed a balikbayan box containing smuggled gun parts worth an estimated P4.5 million from the United States.
Ta-ala was charged with two counts of violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, but he posted bail worth P200,000 and was ordered released on Sept. 8.
“The ball is now in the hands of the Justice department,” Chiong stressed./PN
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