Calbayog prosecutors rejects handling of criminal raps against Congressman Uy

By ROMMEL L. RUTOR
March 24, 2007

CALBAYOG CITY, Leyte  –  ”We fear for the safety of our lives and limbs and that of our families ... This is not a product of our imagination. We already have experiences on this in the past, and to think that those involve are mere known supporters of big politicians, they intervene and exert pressure so as to get their way. How much more that a congressman is being indicted here? We can see pressures coming from both sides, or from the respondents of this case themselves as they are capable of doing so”.

This was the firm statement of four prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DOJ) assigned in this city, including City Chief Prosecutor Feliciano P. Aguilar in their letter dated March 1, 2007 to Regional State Prosecutor Francisco Aurillo, Jr. in Tacloban City when they requested to inhibit from handling the frustrated murder case filed against Congressman Reynaldo Uy by City Councilor Nestor C. Tamidles, Minority Floor Leader of the Sangguniang Panlungsod here.

The other signatories of the said letter were Avelino Decoroso M. Basco, 1st Asst. Prosecutor, Virgilio B. Cabral, 2nd Asst. Prosecutor and Ferdinand S. Arpon, 3rd Asst. Prosecutor.

The prosecutors noted in their letter that if they take cognizance of the said case, they are certain that they will become target especially by those who won’t agree with their possible resolution of the said case.

“In case we resolve to file the case in court … we will always be on the run, it may appear speculative but we see it apparent”, the respondents stressed in their letter.

The same letter told that some of the respondents in the said case are known to be notorious in their chosen field of activities, notably emphasizing, claiming of lives of others for whatever and however simple or petty a reason is.

“If they can do it to others, they can do it with us with facility as we live within the area of their operations and control”, the prosecutors told.

Further, the said appeal for inhibition told that if the case will be handled by a prosecutor not from this city, the said politicians would find a hard time in exacting their wrath and notoriety.

On the case of Mayor Sarmiento’s involvement, the letter noted that some of the signatory prosecutors have been recipients of support and assistance from the city mayor particularly pointing out their appointments to the prosecution service.

Likewise, they admitted that the city government thru Mayor Sarmiento is augmenting the budgetary requirements of their office due to lack of funds, at which they might be accused of biased treatment if they are to handle the said case.

It was learned that the controversial case stemmed from an ambush incident in May 2, 2001, killing about  6 people on the spot including the wife of Tamidles and other barangay officials, but Tamidles and his son and others barangay officials survived the incident though seriously wounded.

Tamidles and his company were on board an L300 van on their way to this city in the morning of that day, and upon reaching the vicinity of Barangay Banti-an here, a series of gun shots shattered the window shield of their vehicle.

The case slept for many years because no body came out to pin point the perpetrators of the incident, but recently a certain Joel Cañete, allegedly a close-in aide of Congressman Uy, claiming to be present when the ambush plan is being drawn, came out and told the police authorities the truth and pointed at the solon as the mastermind of the killing.