A court in La Union junked the drug charge against Julian Ongpin, son of Marcos-time trade secretary and business tycoon Roberto "Bobby" Ongpin.
Prosecutor General Ben Malcontento confirmed the decision, and said the Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecution will file a motion for reconsideration.
The local court also lifted the precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) against the Ongpin scion.
Ongpin was caught with more than 12 grams of cocaine when his hostel room in La Union was inspected by the local police after his companion, artist Bree Jonson, was found dead there.
The La Union police did not arrest Ongpin even though being caught with illegal drugs is a valid ground for warrantless arrest.
The DOJ's state prosecutors eventually charged Ongpin. Possession of 12 grams of cocaine is a non-bailable offense under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, but a warrant of arrest was not issued by the La Union Court, instead it dismissed the case in the said decision.
The La Union Regional Trial Court Branch 27 junked the charge for failure of the local police to follow the law's rule on how to preserve and mark the evidence in drug cases.
According to Branch 27 Judge Romeo Agacita, the police did not immediately mark the sachets of cocaine when they were seized on September 18.
The judge said the police merely marked the two pouches containing the cocaine, and not the sachets itself.
"It could not, therefore, be determined how the unmarked drugs were handled upon confiscation. Evidently, the alteration of the seized items was a possibility absent their immediate marking thereof," said the 12-page decision promulgated Monday, November 15.
In 2018, the Supreme Court in the landmark decision People vs Lim directed that drug cases that did not follow the proper preservation of evidence shall be dismissed.
The decision was also seen as a way to avoid situations where cops can plant evidence in the bloody drug war, President Rodrigo Duterte's centerpiece campaign now being investigated by the International Criminal Court for extrajudicial killings.
It now benefits a billionaire's scion, where the judge said the police cannot enjoy presumption of regularity.
"Presumption of regularity does not apply if proper procedure is not observed," said the judge.
There were also no required witnesses like a representative of the DOJ or a member of the media.
"No earnest effort was shown to comply with the provision of Section 21 of RA 9165; the saving clause under Section 21 finds no application considering the glaring non-compliance of the law," said Judge Agacita.
The judge also noted that Ongpin was not present when his hostel room was inspected and where the cocaine was seized.
"As such, the chain of custody rule was patently violated," said the judge. – Rappler.com
ReplyDeleteWow, na mali sa technicality. 🙄 Pag mahirap, nanlaban na yan.
Tama nga sabi nila, ang hustisya ay para lang sa mayaman.
Pareho tayo ng naisip
DeletePero hindi tinackle ng korte na nagpositive sa drug test sa Cocaine silang magsyota.
DeleteBecause Ongpin's lawyers were meticulous to small details.
Delete1:29 baka influential
DeleteNo surprise here.
ReplyDeleteSomeone's war chest for the coming e is looking pretty stout.
truth
Delete1. Pag mayaman, may due process. Pag mahirap, “nanlaban”
ReplyDelete2. Ang bulok naman ng mga responders. Bulok talaga. Sayang kasi andun na ang ebidensya, pero dahil mishandled, ayan, may legal lusot tuloy tong si Ongpin.
3. Kung sa itsura lang tayo magbabase, mukha talaga tong (fill in the blank)
4. Justice for Bree
Porke guwapo at mayaman ay guilty na sa pagkamatay ni Bree?
Delete12:35 ????
Delete12:35 No one said that. He is being charged with POSSESSION OF DRUGS (not murder) and he tested positive for cocaine. So he should be jailed for that crime.
DeleteCorrect me if am wrong..ang alam ko ksi kahit mahirap o mayaman, pag possession or user either jail or rehab..pero depende din yong sa grams ata...ksi when I was working as social worker may mga case kming hawak...kmi yong nag rereleased sa ganyan case mga user then pinadala namin sa rehab..specially as mahihirap.
Delete@1:22am did you even read the article? May lapses sa chain of custody; violations in due process. Walang jumping to conclusions sa batas.
Delete12:35 reading comprehension te yan na lang sana inaral mo jusme.
DeleteAng sagot na iyan ay sa item 4 ni 12:21 na sinabi niyang Justice for Bree. Puro kayo talak agad, susme.
DeleteKung sinabi din ni 12:21 na 5. Justice for the drug war victims, ano, ibig sabihin ba sinisisi din niya si Ongpin sa kawalang hustisya para sa mga “nanlaban”? Susme ka dyan 11:01. Ano naman kung sinabi nyang justice for Bree. Doesnt mean sinisisi nya si Ongpin tutal malinaw sa 1 and 2 na talagang yun drug case ang tinutukoy nya. Susme ka!
Deleteang hustisya ay para lang sa mayaman - tatsulok.
ReplyDeletetapos ung mga beking pumarty party pinilit ikulong at kasuhan ng rape. hype na justice system to oh. kay hindi pa rin talaga pwede ang death penalty satin.
Kumusta na pala ang mga beks? Naaawa ako sa kanila. Sana cleared na sila forever at makabalik na sa normal nilang buhay
DeleteAyun Beks Batallion na.
DeleteExpected na yan.
ReplyDeleteKawawa naman si Bree.
ReplyDeleteShe made her own bed.
Delete11:01 my sentiments, exactly.
Delete11:01 Agree
DeleteKawawa? She drinks and uses drugs rin.
DeleteLangya naman, remember yun kaso ng mga beks na inakusahan ng rape agad??? Bukod sa pang mayaman lang ang hustisya at due process, walang kwenta talaga ang kapulisan dito!!! Ano bang training meron mga yan? My goodness, mga walang kwenta!
ReplyDeleteBut don't dent that there was something fishy about their statements. Someone was hiding something
Deletepoor Bree, so young, so brilliant..gone too soon. may her art live on.
ReplyDeleteHAYYYYYY, PINAS!!!!
ReplyDeleteAng batas sa pilipinas para lang sa mayaman.
ReplyDeleteAs expected pero sobrang nakakadisappoint talaga
ReplyDeleteBulok na systema pa rin ang umaandar sa pilipinas! Disgusting!
ReplyDeleteAt ang hustisya ay para lang sa mayaman- Bamboo
ReplyDeleteSa true lang, di na ko disappointed at shookt. Very predictable eh. Pilipinas ba naman. Basta mayaman ka, luluhod sayo kahit langit pa yan
ReplyDeleteExpected ko na ito haha
ReplyDelete*pretends to be shocked
ReplyDeleteMoney is powerful.
ReplyDeleteMayaman eh ohh well
ReplyDeleteHindi nga maidentify kung kanino yung pouch na nakuhanan ng drugs
ReplyDeleteNot surprise at all. Ang justice system sa Pinas ay para lang sa mayayaman. Pag may pera ka, may power ka, abswelto ka. Kung mahirap yan baka inuuod na yan ngayon.
ReplyDeletewow. sa mahihirap kahit walang droga, papatayin, tataniman ng hinde lang droga, pati baril. ngayong eleksyon pumili tayo ng lider na tutulong sa mahihirap, yung hindi magnanakaw ng kaban na tayo rin ang nagpuno, yung hindi tayo lolokohin sa matatapang na salita lang. mag-isip na tayo. pumili tayo ng matino.
ReplyDeleteAh WAG KANG BUMOTO @ UMASA SA ELEKSYON!
DeleteThe country where the rich are cleared and the poor are killed on drug charges
ReplyDeleteWOW! iba talaga pag mayaman. ang lakas ng ebidensya! ang issue probable cause pero ang korte sinabi hindi nasunod ang procedure? kalokohan
ReplyDeleteYung maiinis ka na lang because the law does not apply to the filthy rich with political connections. Kumusta naman yung gay friends ni Cristine Dacera na pilit na pilit akusahan ng rape??!
ReplyDeletefinish na!!
ReplyDeleteSpeedy court proceedings at its best!!
ReplyDeleteMoney talks again.
ReplyDeletehaha galing no hinde lang nalagyan ng label yung sachet abswelto na pero kung mahirap yan di na aabot ng presinto
ReplyDelete