Yet another judge begs off from case vs Cagas
DIGOS CITY, Philippines—The trial of the murder case filed against former Davao del Sur Gov. Douglas Cagas and three others, including a town mayor, faces further delay after the new judge that should preside over it inhibited herself.
Judge Magnolia Velez, of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 20, cited as reason her being related by affinity to Davao del Sur Rep. Mercedes Cagas, wife of the former governor.
Baisy Mabuti, RTC 20 clerk of court, said on Wednesday that Velez had formally informed the Supreme Court of her inhibition.
She did not say when Velez officially begged off from presiding over the case.
Velez got the murder case against Cagas, Mayor Vicente Fernandez of Matanao, Bado Sanchez and Ali Ordaneza for the 2010 murder of journalist Nestor Bedolido, after the original judge, Carmelita Davin of Branch 19, inhibited herself due to personal reasons.
During the reraffling of the case on Monday, the case was handed over to Velez, formerly assigned to the Office of Solicitor General in Manila and a resident of Cagayan de Oro City.
With Velez’s inhibition, the Supreme Court has to appoint another judge to handle the case, according to court sources here.
It was self-confessed gunman Voltaire Mirafuentes and his brother, Henry, who implicated Cagas, Fernandez and two other suspects in the Bedolido murder case. Voltaire is now under the Department of Justice’s Witness Protection Program while Henry, who claimed he served as a lookout, had been remanded to the Davao del Sur provincial rehabilitation center here.
“I have not met them, or talked to them in person. In fact, nobody among them was present during our preliminary hearing before the DOJ in Manila,” Cagas earlier told reporters.
He repeated his previous line that his incarceration was the result of political machination.
Cagas earlier said the charge against him had already been dismissed but was revived due to pressure from his political enemies. Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao
