Click here:Court of Appeals final decision on Lacson
By Jomar Canlas
Manila Times
This was the ruling of the Court of Appeals (CA), which also declared that the Department of Justice’s standing order for the senator’s arrest and detention could be a ground for a possible criminal charge of arbitrary detention against Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.
In a 16-page resolution of the appellate court’s Special 16th Division, a copy of which was obtained by The Manila Times, the court said that the ruling automatically lifted the warrant of arrest issued against Lacson and immediately nullifies his indictment before the Regional Trial Court of Manila in connection with the Dacer-Corbito double-murder case.
The appellate court promulgated the ruling, written by Associate Justice Ramon Bato Jr., on March 18, 2011.
It stressed that the lifting of the arrest warrant against Lacson is immediately executory, unless the Supreme Court, through preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order, restrains the appellate court.
The CA ruling also effectively denied a motion for reconsideration filed by the government and witness Cezar Mancao 2nd for lack of merit.
“Accordingly, petitioner’s [Lacson] Urgent Motion for Clarification dated February 7, 2011 is granted. The nullification of the arrest warrants is hereby declared immediately executory. All the respondents, their agents, any peace officer of law enforcer, or anybody acting on their behalf, are permanently enjoined from enforcing and implementing the arrest warrants issued in Criminal Cases Nos. 10272905 & 10272906,” the dispositive portion of the ruling states.
The appellate court, moreover, scored de Lima’s statements before the media that a manhunt for Lacson could still be enforced since its dismissal of the case against the senator is not yet immediately executory.
“That clarification [made by Lacson] is urgently needed because the position taken by the Secretary of Justice and the PNP [Philippine National Police] is a continuing threat to his liberty and defeats the very essence of the court’s ruling that there is no probable cause against him and he should be spared of the pain and agony of trial and arrest,” the CA said.
It pointed out “that the arrest warrants against petitioner [Lacson] are deemed automatically lifted when the criminal cases against him were dismissed.”
The appellate court explained that the nullification of the arrest warrants, like judgments in actions for injunction under Section 4 of Rule 39, is immediately executory and cannot be stayed by an appeal.
With the dismissal of the non-bailable offense for murder against Lacson, the appellate court ordered to allow the senator to surface and continue to perform his function as a senator to fulfill the mandate he got from the people who voted for him.
“We should now allow the petitioner [Lacson] to perform his job in the Senate. The threats to arrest petitioner would not only be a violation of his constitutional right to liberty, but also be a deprivation of the sovereign right of the people particularly the millions of electorates who voted him to office the right of representation in the Senate,” it said.
Arbitrary detention
In view of the pronouncement made by De Lima, the appelllate warned that those who would arrest Lacson could be charged with arbitrary detention.
The CA stressed that such arrest would also be a clear violation of the senator’s right to liberty guaranteed under the 1987 Constitution.
“Also, with the nullification of the arrest warrant and the dismissal of the criminal cases, a public officer who will arrest and detain petitioner may be criminally liable for arbitrary detention. The crime of arbitrary detention is committed by a public officer who, without legal grounds, detains a person,” the CA explained.
The appellate court pointed out that “between the right of the state to enforce the arrest warrant we nullified and set-aside for lack of probable cause and the constitutional right to liberty of the petitioner, the latter prevails.”
“Since we ordered the dismissal of the two informations for murder due to the absence of probable cause, the petitioner who is not in custody could no longer be placed in custody. It would be absurd and anomalous to implement the arrest warrants we nullified and set aside.
In other words, there is no legal basis to arrest the petitioner,” the CA ruling stated.
It said that since the arrest warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court of Manila was deemed to be immediately executory, the appellate court’s lifting of the warrant should also be immediately executory.
The CA opined, “If the nullification of a warrant of arrest is not immediately executory as advocated by the respondents, we will have a grotesque and ludicrous situation where the accused could be arrested and imprisoned despite the nullification of the arrest warrant by a higher court.”
In addition, it also junked the plea of Mancao to intervene in the case because he is not the proper party to do so.
The appellate court pointed out that only the Solicitor General might bring or defend actions on behalf of the government.
Mancao has no legal personality to intervene and file a motion for reconsideration, asking for the reversal of the CA ruling on February 3, 2011, because he is not an accused in the criminal cases but only a witness against Lacson.
The appellate court pointed out that the Regional Trial Court of Manila committed grave abuse of discretion by holding a trial without considering the witnesses for Lacson and his counter-affidavit.
Just in time for MGut’s impeachment. Welcome back, Ping!
Good development, Gloria is crumbling!
“The appellate court pointed out that the Regional Trial Court of Manila committed grave abuse of discretion by holding a trial without considering the witnesses for Lacson and his counter-affidavit.”
Wow! Maglabas kaya ng desisyon na ganito kung si Pidal ay relevant pa?
“In view of the pronouncement made by De Lima, the appelllate warned that those who would arrest Lacson could be charged with arbitrary detention.”
Would de Lima dare to prove her point of law (view)? O susunod na sya kay PNoy…este sa desisyon ng appelate court? 🙂
Yes! Let Lacson back in the senate! A long time ago he was scored for throwing the “all right” challenge to Reyes, recently Trillanes similarly got the same treatment for his “uncavalier” treatment of the same general – one who continously spurned the honor code but was still treated as a hero.
Si Ramon Tuldo lang ang hindi masaya sa balitang yan, karamihan ng mga pinoy gustong mangyari yan!
To all those who will bring uo the issue of “rule of law” just to silence Lacson and try to rub our faces in their “legalese” expertise “shut up!” you had your time when the Arroyos were in power, you let Jocjoc, Garci, Palparan, Abalos, etc, go scott free.
Some time ago someone incarcerated (arbitrarily) told me that there are a lot of people who do not want Lacson back – the corrupt PNP officers/former officers turned criminal elements, shady businessmen, corrupt politicians, corrupt military officers, and pseudo intellectuals, bottomline, very powerful and rich people. The market vendors, barberos, ordinary men on the street actually want him back – lets give power back to the people!
Very good timing! The senate needs Ping very badly to neutralize the putot’s brigade in the senate.
Nakalimutan na si Limot, este ligot!, and his partner in crime Caloy….Merci’s case wala na rin. Now, another freak show is about to enter the arena…puweee!
dapat ang mga nagkakamali sa rtc pinaparusahan din dahil sa perwisyong nangyayari lalo na sa mga akusadong wala namang kasalanan.kaya tuloy maraming di na natatakot na magkamali.
It’s about time that the court rectified this mistake. The need to overhaul the justice system is imperative. Innocent people can be found “guilty” if you have that right connections. vis-a-vis found innocent or no case to answer to.
Welcome back Sen. Lacson. Happy ang mga whistleblowers, since Sen Lacson is prominent in providing assistance to them.
whahaha,, very good news,,,as of now,, di pa natin alam pag inakyat sa glorias supreme court…
mancao… atama na un appeal for reconsider recondider… iniiwanan ka na ng amo mo si pandak,, ur on your own…bad timing ka kc..kakanta na lang sintunato pa!!!!
Now that Lacson is back..seguro malaman na natin kung ano talaga ang totoo…at matapos na ang mga kwento…we can and will move on sa tuwid na daan…totoo maraming bata si putot sa supreme court…but do you think they will still follow their blind justice? sana huwag naman…
with Lacson back in the senate..seguro naman bukas mata na ang mga bulag na supreme court justices appointed by putot..at maging malines at totoo na ang kanilang mga decisions…after all..Lady Justice when equal scales she holds is blind? pero sa ngayon ang nakikita ko kay De Lima ay malabo and madilim pa ang kanyang maningin…I jsut wonder will she be forever blinded until death? or will she open her eyes and be fair? baka may cataract..punta kaya siya sa eye doctor sa PGH at mag patingin..mahusay ang mga doctors doon…at mura pa ang singil..pipila ka nga lang..
Dapat lang na bumalik na si Lacson para naman magkaroon ng silbi ang pagiging senador niya. Wala naman sapat na basehan ang paratang sa kanya. Nakakatiyak ako na sa 2013 malapit ang halalan ay tiyak bubuhayin uli ang kaso niya. Ngayon ay pahingan muna kasi malayo pa ang halalan. Mahiya nga kayo na mga tao na kung kailan malapit na ang halalan binubuhay niyo ang kaso ni Lacson.
click ito http://arvin95.blogspot.com
An answered prayer! Welcome back Sen. Ping!
Sa ginawa ng SC na bumoto sa hindi pag-iimpeach kay Maldita nuong una without reading the issues, delikado silang ma-impeach sa Congress. Farinas is watching them and he can easily start the mass impeachment of putot’s justices. Kaya dapat mag-behave na itong mga justices na ito and be apolitical!
Hehehe! nagkatotoo ang bolang crystal ko na i lift ni De Lima ang arrest warrant ni Lacson oras gumulong na ang impeachment ni Merci sa Senado.
Cocoy, madali lang namang basahin ang “game” plan ni Pnoy. Kung hindi aayon si de Lima sa boss niya, matagal na siyang pinalitan ni Pnoy. Putot underestimated Pnoy. Baka nga si Pnoy pa ang nag-utos kay Ping na mangibang bansa muna habang mainit yung Dacer-Corbito case. Alam naman ng lahat na maniobra lang ni putot yung kaso para manahimik si Ping. Akala siguro ni putot malakas pa siya sa mga dati niyang kaalyado. Laos ka na putot! Sana maraming na-research si Ping habang nagtatago siya bara maraming bomba pagbalik niya sa senado!
Senator Ping, lumabas ka na sa lungga nyo. Binoto ka ng sambayanan para magtrabaho at di magtago. 😛
The other accused are in jail solely on the basis of the “positive identification” of Fortun that the remains belong to Dacer and Corbito.
She based her conclusion on the verbal opinion of Dr. Kalalo, who is not an expert orthodontist, by his own admission. So the testimony of Fortun is hearsay, based on a non-expert’s opinion.
Hearsay testimony is inadmissible, unless it comes within some exception, not present here. Opinion testimony is admissible only if rendered by an expert. So Fortun’s testimony is disqualifiable on two counts, that is (1) hearsay, and (2) the opinion of a non-expert. Without her testimony, there is no proof that Dacer and Corbito died.
And yet, the lowly cops are in jail, and the Dacer sisters are crying to heavens about injustice.
Time for the defense lawyers to move to strike the entire testimony of Raquel Fortun, the forensic expert for hire.
Sa administration ni PNOY, dalawa na ang mga bigating napapawalang sala, sa visconde massacre at dacer-corbito case.
Wala pa siyang mga bigating napapakulong. 2-0 ang score.
Ooops, naipakulong na pala si kuya Mando, si Bing Sunog din, si Sha Tulak pa. Mga bigatin sa lugar namin.
Naku, magugulat kayo sa impeachment court. Si Lacson yung tipong walang panahong sinasayang, kargado na naman yan pihado.
Ngayon pa lang, siguradong naka-bug na ang bahay at opisina ni Merci at hinihintay na yung mahiwagang boses-pato na mag-“Hellooo Merci?”
Hinuhukay na rin yung mga background ng defense lawyers at naghihintay ng tamang sandali para pasabugin.
Exciting na namang muli ang Senado.
sax, Palagay ko, di na makikialam diyan kampo ni Lacson, safe na siya. Yung na lang sa mga bata niya. Nagpaparamdam na rin yan malamang kay Mancao, may dala dalang microphone at videoke machine, hehehe.
Magkano’ng civil damages ang bagay na i-file ni Lacson? Unlimited siguro dahil reputation ng isang senador ang pilit winawasak. Palagay mo?
sabi ni Manong Johnny, hindi sila magbreak pra sa merci impeachment case.. pero ngayon, sa May na sila ulit magconvene…. sinadya man o hindi.. oks yan.. para mahintay si Lacson…
# 23
Wala namang pera si Mancao. Para kang nagpa-burles ng matandang bungal. Anong thrill non?
Yung ginagawa ng abogado ni Hubert Webb ang mainam, sampahan ng criminal case under Article 180.
Oo nga pala, si Mancao lang ang nakabilad. Nasa isip ko kasi si Putot.
Bwahahaha – nagpaburles ng matandang bungal! Sakit ng panga ko kakatawa, langya ka talaga, sax.
Dyan naman magaling si putot, to find the vulnerable people to be a target of the people so that she and her dogs can be shielded. Lahat ng “laundry men” niya ay kasalukuyang may mga kaso, siya kukuyakuyakoy lang. Para siyang angel of death. Tignan ninyo nung tinawagan niya si Angie, nagpakamatay si Angie. Ngayon naman binisita niya si Maldita, tignan natin kung ano ang susunod na mangyayari.
Si Mancao di ba financed ni putot yan to run for a public office? Ano naman kaya ang mangyayari sa kanya ngayong he is no longer useful to the putot on Lacson’s case.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/216091/nation/enrile-lacson-requests-his-office-be-reopened
Jinggoy misses Ping
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada said he would “welcome” Lacson once the latter finally resumes his legislative work. “He still has a moral obligation to work as a senator… At isa pa, nami-miss ko na siya (And besides, I already miss him),” he said.
plastik! hehehe…
ang mga kilos ni topacio na abogado ni mancao… halatang protektor ni Erap… abangan natin ang magiging aksyon ni Ping sa reimbestigation ng dacer-corbito case.. siguradong malaki ang magiging epekto nito kay erap…