Tuesday, May 20, 2008 Paredes to handle John-john case
AFTER a week-long delay, the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Criminal Division finally raffled yesterday the anti-drug charge against former Cebu vice governor John Gregory “John-john” Osmeña.
The case got assigned to RTC Judge Meinrado Paredes.
RTC division sources said the records of the case will be transmitted to Paredes’ court immediately following yesterday’s raffle.
The case would have been raffled off last week had Executive Judge Fortunato de Gracia not ordered that it be excluded. De Gracia, in an interview with reporters, said he wanted to wait and see if other cases were forthcoming. He said he would have wanted the cases consolidated before raffling.
Still, yesterday’s raffle does not ensure that the case will immediately be set for arraignment and hearing.
This is because Edgar Gica, the former Cebu vice governor’s lawyer, filed a motion asking the RTC for a probable cause hearing.
The motion asks the RTC to withhold the issuance of a warrant of arrest until the probable cause issue is resolved. (KNR)
