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Friday, May 16, 2003
Doubts raised on cases with 'stolen' evidence
SAN FERNANDO -- Doubts were raised in the proper prosecution and disposition of the cases where pieces of evidence have been lost inside two Regional Trial Court (RTC) branches here.
"Paano susulong ang mga kaso kung ninanakaw o pinapalitan ang mga ebidensiya? Wala na yatang maayos sa bansa natin (How will the cases prosper if valuable crime evidence is being stolen or tampered? It seems nothing is good anymore in our country)," an officer of the San Fernando police who requested anonymity said.
The officer was referring to the series of "evidence looting" inside RTC branches at the Pampanga Capitol recently, wherein three consecutive robbery cases were reportedly committed.
Robbed were the offices of Judges Adelaida Ala Medina and Lamberto Daing, of the RTC branches 45 and 46, respectively.
Last April 26, thieves reportedly carted away a .38 caliber revolver and a Magnum 357 Smith and Wesson gun inside Medina's office. The guns were evidence in an illegal possession of firearms case.
Sometime last March, two separate looting incidents were reported in RTC Branch 46 wherein a mini component and an undetermined amount of shabu was stolen in only a span of less than two weeks. The mini component was evidence in a theft case, a court clerk said.
Medina said Thursday that the looting cases are currently undergoing investigation by the Supreme Court.
Police sources said that the stolen shabu evidence was replaced with "iodized salt." This earned the ire of anti-narcotic cops who complained of the hard work they did busting the suspect in the drug case.
"Nakakainis din ang mga pangyayaring ganito dahil napapagod din naman kami sa paghuli sa mga nagbebenta ng droga sa ating mga lansangan at pagkatapos ay madi-dismiss lang ang kaso dahil nawala ang ebidensiya (It's very disappointing that things like these happen because we work hard conducting buy-bust operations against suspected drug peddlers and all of a sudden the case is dismissed because the evidence got lost)," the officer said. TSN
(May 16, 2003 issue)
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