DEPARTMENT of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre has ordered to fast track the investigation of an employee of the City Prosecutor’s Office (CPO) who has recently been charged of bribery and extortion activities.
Northern Mindanao prosecutor Jaime Umpa said the DOJ chief has directed his office to hasten the gathering of evidence against CPO administrative aide Genard Abejo to determine if the suspect has indeed committed extortion and other illegal acts.
Abejo was arrested by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Northern Mindanao during an entrapment operation in the village of Gusa last week.
Abejo's arrest stemmed from complaints of families of persons who have pending cases at the CPO.
The CIDG team seized a mobile phone, P300,000 in fake bills, a Honda motorcycle, and a five-page resolution for a complaint pertaining to a cybercrime violation from the suspect.
CIDG-Northern Mindanao deputy chief Melgar Devaras said in an interview that a syndicated child pornography case was filed against three persons last June 22.
Devaras said the families of the suspects got in touch with Abejo when the complainant sued anew the three for violation of the anti-photo and video voyeurism law in the hopes that the offenses against them be downgraded as allegedly promised by Abejo.
Umpa said they are also investigating reports that some prosecutors at the CPO are allegedly involved in the practice of asking money from the families of accused persons.
He said, however, that the DOJ has to have enough evidence to implicate those prosecutors.
Umpa admitted he has heard many complaints about erring prosecutors and their illicit practices but he said the justice department can only act on them with concrete proof and not with mere hearsay.
In light of the complaint filed against Abejo, Umpa said this is an indication that the people are now emboldened to stand up and take up action over what they perceive as illegal acts committed by persons inside the CPO.