THREE city prosecutors have been implicated in the case fixing mess following the arrest at a sting operation of a City Hall employee detailed at the City Prosecutor’s office (CPO) for alleged bribery.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Northern Mindanao arrested on Friday, November 11, Genard Abejo, 47, a resident of barangay Puntod, who works as administrative aide IV of the CPO for alleged bribery and extortion to families of individuals with cases pending at the CPO.
The CIDG deputy regional director Melgar Devaras said Abejo implicated three prosecutors who are allegedly involved in the same corrupt practice.
Abejo declined to name the three in public.
"May na-recover tayo na cellphones, so na-coordinate na natin sa cybercrime office to check his transactions doon, kung may makita tayong mga ebidensya doon na mag-iimplicate sa mga fiscals, definitely i-file natin yung kaso which is violation of the Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, direct bribery, and robbery extortion (We recovered cellphones so we already coordinated with the cybercrime office to check his transactions there. If we found evidences that can implicate the fiscals, we will definitely file it which is violation of the Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, direct bribery, and robbery extortion)," Devaras said.
CIDG deputy director Devaras said they are still waiting for CPO to resolve the case in order to formally file Direct Bribery and Robbery Extortion charges.
"We are very much alarmed with this recent development, because it involves an employee of our office, although he (Abejo) is a city paid employee but he is designated here. Abejo did not sign a waiver of Article 125 of the revised penal code so we have to resolve the complaint immediately," said city prosecutor Merlynn Uy said.
Abejo is currently detained at the CIDG detention cell.
Uy said since she assumed office last August as officer-in-charge of the CPO, she has not received nor informed of any formal complaints about any irregularities in its office.
But with the recent development, Uy said they are also conducting their internal investigation.
"I was made to understand that the Regional State Prosecutor (RSP) will also investigate on the matter and we will fully cooperate, all of us in the prosecutors and the support staff, we are open to any investigation," Uy said.
Regional State Prosecutor (RSP) Jaime Umpa said they will conduct a separate fact-finding mission to the alleged illegal activities inside the CPO.
If evidences show case fixing exists, Umpa said they will file necessary charges against anyone who will be found liable, adding that he will also forward all the records of the cases to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre.
"If we base on complaints, dugay na ning case fixing practice diha sa CPO, daghay ga-report sa ako pero they are not willing to file a case man gud. So talagsaon ra ning mga complainants karon, maybe they are brave enough because they understand that they can contribute to the reformation of the CPO (If we base on complaints, case fixing has been going on in CPO. Many were reporting to me but they are not willing to file a case. So complaints are rare, maybe they are brave enough because they understand that they can contribute to the reformation of the CPO), " Umpa said.
As for the names of the prosecutors, Uy said it is the fact-finding investigation of the RSP that will determine all possible persons involved, pointing out that the disclosure of the names would be 'unfair to the prosecutors involved when no complaint was filed against them'.
"If their names will be disclosed, they will be subjected to public scrutiny while further investigation is still being conducted. Rest assured however that we will disclose the result of the investigation as soon as it is concluded," Uy said.
