A LAWYER for the four siblings of the Yanson family revealed that CIDG-Bacolod served the warrant of arrest against his clients ahead of the court's issuance on June 1.
Atty. Carlo Joaquin Narvasa, lawyer of Roy Yanson, Emily Yanson, Ricardo Yanson and Ma. Lourdes Celina Lopez or Yanson 4 in a statement claimed that on May 29 at the hearing of his clients motion to suspend proceedings and hold in abeyance issuance of warrant, no mention was made by Municipal Court Judge Abraham Bayona of his having issued a warrant of arrest against the Yanson 4.
The issuance of a warrant was put on hold due to the timely filing by the lawyers of the Yanson 4 of motion to stop its implementation last March 10. The non-issuance of the arrest warrant last Friday, May 29 was confirmed by MTCC Branch 7 Cleck of Court, Atty. Ruth Dizon, Narvasa said.
On Sunday, March 31, elements of PNP-CIDG-Bacolod attempted to implement a "warrant" for the arrest of the Yanson 4, even if none was released by the court for implementation, a move which is clearly to harass them during the weekend as courts would be closed. It was staged to ensure that no court processes or any relief would be available to the Yanson 4, including posting bail, Narvasa further explained.
He said that the counsel for Yanson 4 had been closely monitoring and was in constant communication with the court of Judge Bayona,but had only obtained a copy of the order releasing the wWarrant of arrest on June 1, Monday when the order was officially released.
"The CIDG-Bacolod however attempted to serve an unissued warrant on Sunday, May 31- a full day before the order directing the warrant's release was issued. This is troubling. It is both procedurally and legally irregular. It is also strange how media outlets in Manila and Bacolod had been in receipt of press releases about the issuance of a warrant of arrest against the Yanson 4 when none had yet been issued and released," Narvasa pointed out.
He added that the lawyers of the Yanson 4 are also asking how the complainant whose authority to file a complaint continues to pend before the Bacolod RTC Branch 53 knew about the issuance of a warrant that was served by the CIDG upon the Yanson 4 on a Sunday when it was issued only the following day, June 1.