MANILA, Philippines?The Department of Justice (DoJ) has ordered the Quezon City Prosecutor?s Office to charge Judge Ma. Theresa de la Torre-Yadao with ?knowingly rendering unjust judgment? when she convicted former Occidental Mindoro Rep. Jose Villarosa for the murder in 2006 of brothers Michael and Paul Quintos.

The DoJ directive dated March 1 was signed by resigned Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera. Yadao, presiding judge of the QC Regional Trial Court, may file a motion for reconsideration with Devanadera?s successor, Alberto Agra.

Contacted by phone, Yadao said she had yet to receive a copy of the DoJ resolution and declined comment.

Devanadara, who said she found ?gross errors? in Yadao?s decision, reversed two resolutions dated Sept. 17, 2009 and Feb. 17, 2010 of State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, acting city prosecutor of QC, which absolved Yadao of the charges.

In March 2006, Yadao sentenced Villarosa to death, along with the ?Mamburao 6? farmers, for the murder of the Quintos brothers, sons of Villarosa?s political rival, Ricardo Quintos.

The two brothers were gunned down by a group of men while attending a friend?s birthday party on Dec. 13, 1997 in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro.

The elder Quintos had accused Villarosa of masterminding the killings, which he described as politically motivated. He also said the murders could have stemmed from a land dispute involving the Quintoses that displaced the farmers of the 600-hectare Golden Country Farms Inc. in Mamburao.

The decision meted out by Yadao also convicted farmers Eduardo Hermoso, Josue Ungsod, Manolito Matricio, Mario Tobias, Ruben Balaguer and Gelito Bautista.