CA justice inhibits self from Salapuddin case
Father is good friend of ex-solon
By Tetch Torres
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:44:00 05/22/2008
Filed Under: Congress Blast, Judiciary (system of justice)
MANILA, Philippines -- A justice of the Court of Appeals has inhibited himself from hearing the petition filed by Basilan Governor Jum Akbar, widow of slain Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar, to reinstate former congressman Gerry Salapuddin among those accused of last year’s Batasan bombing.
The Basilan solon was the target of the November 14 bomb attack at the House of Representatives in which three other persons were killed and two other lawmakers wounded.
In his letter to Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Conrado Vasquez Jr., Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao said he cannot hear the petition because Salapuddin is a good friend of his father, former elections commissioner Magdara Dimaampao.
In her petition, Governor Akbar said the appeals court should issue a temporary restraining order to prevent the Quezon City regional trial court from dropping Salapuddin from the accused.
Akbar said Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction when he reversed the findings of an investigating panel of prosecutors to charge Salapuddin.
Gonzalez’ basis was the claims of the other suspects -- Caidar Aunal, Ikram Indama, Adham Kusain and Hajarun Jamiri -- that they were tortured into implicating Salapuddin as the mastermind of the bombing.
The Court of Appeals has re-raffled the case to Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin.
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