The scheduled arraignment Wednesday of a son of basketball legend and former Sen. Robert Jaworski on charges of illegal possession of firearms and murder has been deferred until next year.
Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 139 Judge Benjamin Pozon moved the proceeding to Feb. 10, granting the urgent motion to defer filed by Ryan Jaworski’s lawyer, Terence Dawang, who said he had just filed a petition for review in the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Public Prosecutor Benjamin Vermug Jr., however, questioned whether the filing of the petition fell within the period specified by the law or 15 days upon receipt of the prosecutor’s resolution finding probable cause against the accused.
“For the record, may I just manifest, [the defense] claimed to have received a [copy] of the resolution of the prosecution on Oct. 30 but the record shows otherwise,” Vermug said, as he noted that Jaworski’s posting of bail on the attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms charges on Oct. 23 and 20, respectively, were “based on the information filed in court, the source of which is the resolution [finding probable cause].”
Dawang, however, claimed that their camp never received a copy of the document. He argued that it was up to the DOJ to determine whether or not they filed their petition for review outside the prescribed period.
In the end, Pozon granted the his motion to defer the younger Jaworski’s arraignment by 60 days since both sides could not prove when the accused actually received the resolution in question.
“The court will have to proceed thereafter with the arraignment of the accused,” he said.
Pozon also set the arraignment of Jaworski co-accused, Joselito Au, on the same date. Au was present when the court proceedings started at 8:30 a.m. but a limping Jaworski aided by a wooden cane arrived much later, at 9:55 a.m.
Pozon had threatened to issue a warrant of arrest against the accused if he did not show up. “Next time, you come early,” Pozon told Jaworski who refused to be interviewed by reporters afterward.