Wednesday, May 07, 2008 ‘Not enough proof’ vs. former staff
DID the prosecution’s move to exclude John Gregory “John-john” Osmeña’s staff members in the drug case now filed against the former Cebu vice governor prove that his reported involvement in Coastside Ventures Inc. was simply propaganda?
Coastside Ventures Inc. was the company that Michael Cummings reportedly used when he allegedly imported 60 drums of pseudoephedrine to Cebu from China in March 2004.
Osmeña’s staff members at the Office of the Vice Governor – Joebert Cuesta, Ma. Rowena Roldan and Rorela T. Villegas – were the company’s incorporators, based on a general information sheet filed before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Lawyer Edgar Gica, in a July 2007 motion to dismiss submitted to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. on Osmeña’s behalf, denied any link between the people behind
the shipment and John-john.
Gica said the issue had already been dismissed by the Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor, with then city prosecutor Cezar Tajanlangit as head.
Gica said the detractors were purposely dragging people directly identifiable with Osmeña to the controversy, fabricating evidence to establish a link between the former vice governor and the shipment of ingredients in making shabu.
‘Productions’
He called these “productions” of John-john’s political detractors, staged when John-john was running for governor against Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
Cuesta, Roldan and Villegas were cleared in the 26-page resolution prepared by State Prosecutors Archimedes Manabat, Juan Pedro Navera and Irwin Maraya and approved by State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño.
Based on the resolution, which charged John-john with coddling people allegedly behind the shipment, Cummings and one Dirk Hultz, the complaint against the staff
members “seriously lacked probable cause.”
Not proof
It said the “long official and business association” between Osmeña and the staff members “cannot be considered as evidence of their guilt for importation.”
Similarly, it said “there is no overt act of importation of drug contraband imputed against them in the (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) complaint.”
“Their strident defense of Osmeña and his alleged innocence should not also be considered against them,” the resolution added.
Moreover, the panel’s findings acknowledged that there is “serious doubt whether they are actually incorporators and stockholders of Coastside.”
Instead, what is established is that the president of Coastside is Teodora Limcangco and that the incorporators and stockholders are Michael Lim, a certain Suzette and Rene Dela Torre, and Florencia Sabarre, based on the Certificate of Registration filed before SEC. (KNR)
