Bigcas out on bail
-A A +ATuesday, August 7, 2012
CONTROVERSIAL car dealer Lynard Allan Bigcas has been freed from detention after posting P320,000 bail bond Monday afternoon.
Lawyer Eimee Torrefranca, one of Bigcas’ lawyers, said the case for possession of illegal drug paraphernalia has also been dismissed due to technicality.
“The drugs and drug paraphernalia were not taken from his possession. These were found inside his vehicle. And there was no search warrant,” Torrefranca said.
However, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Northern Mindanao director Roberto Opeña told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro by phone that only the case for illegal drug use has been dismissed.
“Tuloy pa rin ang case for illegal possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia,” he said.
Opeña said the case for illegal drug use was dismissed after Bigcas volunteered to undergo rehabilitation.
He said Bigcas was found positive for using illegal drugs based on the result of his drug test from the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory.
“In fairness to Mr. Bigcas, nag-voluntary naman siyang magpa-rehab at depende na rin sa court kung saan siya magpapa-rehab,” Opeña said.
Bigcas was brought to the City Prosecutor’s Office Monday afternoon for an inquest accompanied by Torrefranca and his other lawyer Jerome Jarales. He was then released after posting bail.
Bigcas was accidentally arrested by PDEA agents Saturday dawn when the motorbike he was using in a drag race rammed into PDEA’s vehicle along Rotunda area.
Opeña and his agents were on their way home from a party celebrating their anniversary when the incident happened.
Opeña and some agents, who were wearing civilian clothes, disembarked from their vehicle. Without revealing his identity, Opeña asked Bigcas for some documents, particularly on his driver’s license and the registration of his motorbike.
Bigcas told the PDEA chief that the documents are inside his gray Toyota Hilux with plate number KGE-811.
But a commotion later broke out when Bigcas went to his vehicle and took an M16 baby armalite.
When PDEA agents checked on the vehicle, they discovered a sachet of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) weighing one gram worth P4,000 and drug paraphernalia.
Opeña said the M16 baby armalite had an expired license with a tampered serial number.
Also found inside his vehicle is a certificate of candidacy. Bigcas reportedly planned to run for mayor in Talakag, Bukidnon.
PDEA later filed charges for possession of illegal drugs, illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions, and possession of illegal drug paraphernalia against Bigcas.
Bigcas has been facing smuggling cases after several vehicles and motorbikes were seized from his rented warehouses in Talakag and Kauswagan in Cagayan de Oro last year.
Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on August 07, 2012.
Local news
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