MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE) A Quezon City regional trial court judge has ordered the parties in the case stemming from last year’s Batasan bombing to submit their positions on the decision of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez dropping former Basilan representative Gerry Salapuddin from the list of accused.
To avoid violating the rights of the other parties in the case, Judge Ralph Lee also suspended the arrest warrants issued against Salapuddin, Police Officer 1 Bayan Judda, Hajarun Jamiri and Benjamin Hataman.
On Tuesday, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez cleared Salapuddin, claiming that the case against the former legislator was weak.
The bomb explosion at the House of Representatives last November 13 killed Salapuddin’s political rival Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar; a member of his staff, Julasiri Niki Huyudini; Marcial Taldo, the driver of Gabriela Representative Luzviminda Ilagan; and Maan Gale Bustalino, a member of Negros Oriental Representative Henry Pryde Teves.
Ilagan and Teves were also injured in the explosion.
Salapuddin has denied any involvement in the attack.
