THE ex-boyfriend of the 16-year-old murder victim, Christine Lee Silawan, is now in the custody of the City Social Welfare Office (CSWO) of Lapu-Lapu City.
John (not his real name), the 17-year-old Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL), was escorted by Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor Ruso Zaragoza and the boy's lawyer, Vincent Isles, back to the CSWO facility.
At the time the boy was brought to CSWO Thursday morning, March 28, police personnel were seen outside the facility.
The return of the boy to government custody came after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Zaragoza to re-arrest the 17-year-old CICL.
Pending resolution of the motion for reconsideration filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Central Visayas on Wednesday, March 27, Zaragoza requested the mother of John to voluntarily let her son take refuge in a home care facility of Lapu-Lapu CSWO.
Isles will submit a counter-affidavit, while the NBI-Central Visayas filed a motion asking the City Prosecutor's Office to reverse its decision in releasing John.
Zaragoza said they will possibly release their resolution on Friday, March 29, or on Monday, April 1.
Zaragoza clarified that this is not a re-arrest.
John was released on Saturday, March 23, after his lawyer questioned the basis of his arrest.
The city prosecutors ruled that the warrantless arrest of John was not valid as it did not fall on the "hot pursuit operation." NBI agents caught him last March 16, five days after Silawan's body was found on the vacant lot in Barangay Bankal.
Zaragoza assured the public that they will follow the criminal procedure and weigh evidence before resolving the complaint.
The murder case is undergoing preliminary investigation, during which the prosecutor who handles the complaint will determine if there is a probable cause or enough evidence that merits a full-blown trial in court. (GCM/KAL)