Murder cases vs Liza Maza, et al. dismissed; warrants voided

National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Lead Convenor Liza Maza answer questions during her visit to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Updated @ 11:43 p.m., Aug. 13, 2018

The Nueva Ecija Regional Trial Court in Palayan City has dismissed the murder cases against Anti-Poverty Commissioner Liza Maza and three other former members of the House of Representatives.

In an order made public on Monday, Cabanatuan Executive Judge Trese D. Wenceslao also voided the arrest warrants issued against Maza, former Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, and former Bayan Muna party-list Representatives Satur Ocampo and Teddy Casiño.

Three murders

The four had been charged with murder for the death of Carlito Bayudang, Jimmy Peralta and Danny Felipe in 2006.

In 2008, Judge Evelyn Turla remanded the case to the City Prosecutor’s Office for further investigation, prompting Maza and the former lawmakers to take the case to the Supreme Court.

In a 2017 ruling, the high court order Turla to rule on the case. She issued warrants for the arrest of the four but later inhibited herself from the case.

“Considering that the evidence on hand absolutely fails to support a finding of probable cause against accused-movants, the motion for reconsideration with the prayer to quash warrants of arrests is hereby granted … the instant cases are dismissed,” the court said.  /je /pdi