Sleepless nights for DOJ lawyer
By Norman Bordadora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:44:00 01/06/2009
Filed Under: PDEA-DOJ bribery issue, Crime and Law and Justice, Illegal drugs
MANILA, Philippines—Christmas was far from merry for Misael Ladaga, one of the state prosecutors who reviewed and approved the resolution that cleared the so-called “Alabang Boys” of the charges filed against them by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Ladaga and other prosecutors have been subjected to adverse publicity after the PDEA came up with the story that P50 million changed hands for government lawyers to clear the three drug suspects.
“The long holidays were not that good enough for me for the first time in my life. It has affected my personal life. I forced myself not to be affected at all but this has to be cleared up,” Ladaga told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net).
Sleepless nights
Ladaga said being linked for the first time in his life to the alleged bribery “has really caused me sleepless nights. It has ruined my reputation. It has ruined my career in government.”
Ladaga reviewed the findings of the investigating prosecutor, John Resado, that showed no probable cause to charge Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph and Joseph Tecson with drug trafficking as a result of the buy-bust operations on Sept. 20, 2008.
Denying that he benefited from the alleged bribe, Ladaga said: “There was no offer. No text, no phone calls.”
Son’s blog
Senior State Prosecutor Phillip Kimpo, for his part, said his only son blogged about allegations that linked him to the bribery story. Kimpo’s son is his namesake, Phillip, Jr.
“So, perhaps, he was affected,” a smiling Kimpo said when asked if his family’s Christmas holidays were sullied by the controversy.
“I also have relatives abroad who sent me e-mails,” he said.
Kimpo appeared to downplay the effect of the allegations on his personal life.
Kimpo said he handled the case that resulted in the imprisonment of the late actor Ace Vergel.
Ladaga, who has been with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for eight years, was one of the prosecutors who handled the case against those implicated in the drug “tiangge” (flea market) in Pasig City a few years ago.
Ladaga said he would have answered the allegations against him immediately but the holidays prevented him from doing so.
Case tight
Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño said he initially decided against answering the charges in the media.
“I thought people were just trying to pit me against [PDEA Director General Dionisio] Santiago,” Zuño said.
He admitted that his Christmas holidays were affected by the controversy.
“At my level, there was no bribe offer whatsoever. There was no text, no phone call,” Zuño said.
He said the DOJ findings that there was no probable cause against the suspects were proof that the prosecutors decided without consideration of any bribe.
“Our case is tight,” he said.
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