SAYING they were unaware of plans to move the Dominguez brothers from the Quezon City Jail to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, prosecutors in the Venson Evangelista case on Tuesday opposed a court order authorizing the transfer.
“We were surprised as we didn’t know there was a request for the transfer and we were not given a chance to comment on it,” Assistant City Prosecutor Irene Resurrecion said.
Judge Ma. Luisa Padilla of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 215 on May 6 directed the transfer of Raymond and Roger Dominguez and Jason Miranda, who have been linked to the murder of Evangelista, a car dealer, to the Metro Manila District Jail (MMDJ).
The commitment order sent to the Quezon City Jail Tuesday afternoon came after jail warden Supt. Joseph Vela requested the court to transfer the three to the MMDJ.
<STRONG>Unaware</STRONG>
But a check with both the private complainant and the defense lawyer showed that both parties seemed to be unaware of the issuance of the commitment order or plans to transfer the accused.
“No, we didn’t know there was a request for the transfer. I only learned about it upon receiving inquiries from the media,” said the victim’s father, Arsenio.
The Dominguezes’ lawyer, Joey Cruz, also said he had not received a copy of the commitment order, although he was aware of the jail warden’s request.
“We have to file the necessary objections. If they are indeed high risk prisoners, why were they transferred from the Custodial Center (in Camp Crame) to the city jail?” Cruz said.
The lawyer recalled that he had opposed moves to transfer his clients to the Quezon City Jail but the court ruled in favor of transferring them to the city jail.
In the urgent appeal, the prosecution, through Resurrecion and city prosecutor Donald Lee, argued that they were not informed of the request and that they were not given a chance to comment on it.
<STRONG>Request</STRONG>
The request was sent to Executive Judge Fernando Sagun on May 5 in which Vela asked for an order for the transfer. The letter was forwarded to Padilla after which the court issued the commitment order.
The prosecution, in its motion, said the court relied on the QCJ’s claim that there was a security factor in the transfer.
“The jail warden merely couched his concern in general terms without specifying how he perceived the accused in this case to be facing security concerns. It is highly doubtful and anomalous why all the accused have to be transferred to Bicutan when all other accused being charged of capital crimes remain inside the city jail,” it added.
The prosecution said the Dominguez brothers and Miranda “should not be favored and given special treatment” simply because of claims that they are high risk inmates.
For his part, Cruz maintained that the transfer to the MMDJ would greatly inconvenience Raymond in particular as he is attending 19 cases in Bulacan province alone, not counting the ones filed in Pampanga province.
The Dominguez brothers and Miranda are facing car theft with homicide charges for the abduction and brutal slaying of Evangelista in January.