Judge to continue hearing Dumpit’s case

Regional Trial Court Judge Ester Veloso of Branch 6 will continue hearing the murder case against SPO1 Adonis Dumpit.

In open court, the judge said the Court of Appeals (CA) has not issued a temporary restraining order nor an injunction to stop her from conducting trial.

She said that without an issued TRO, stopping the trials would be “baseless.”

Defense lawyers sought the inhibition of Veloso, who denied Dumpit’s petition for bail and a request to move the accused out of the Cebu City Jail.

But the judge did not let go of the case.

The judge yesterday said she will resume trial if the appellate court won’t issue a temporary restraining order before Nov. 22, the next scheduled hearing.

“The accused is detained. He has the right to a speedy trial. You allow your client to languish in jail?” the judge told defense lawyer Benjamin Militar.

Dumpit’s lawyers alleged that Veloso was biased against them for denying their motions for preliminary investigation, bail and transfer of the accused to another jail facility.

Veloso, the second judge to handle the case, ordered  Dumpit’s transfer from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7) detention cell to the Cebu City Jail in barangay Kalunasan after the victim’s mother complained that the policeman was allowed to go out because of his familiarity with the police guards.

The judge also denied the request of the defense to downgrade Dumpit’s murder charge to homicide.

Dumpit  is facing murder charges for shooting dead suspected robber Ronron Go in 2004./reporter ADOR VINCENT S. MAYOL