Court rejects bail bid of convict in De Lima drug controversy
The Court of Appeals has denied the bid of Herbert Colanggo to be granted bail on humanitarian reasons. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Even for humanitarian considerations, the Court of Appeals has denied bail to convicted robber-turned-singer Roy Gilbert Colangco, also known as Herbert “Ampang” Colanggo.
Colanggo is one of several convicts who testified in Congress that Sen. Leila de Lima received millions of pesos in drug money to fund her campaign for the Senate last May.
READ: Colanggo’s talent manager says De Lima got P3M payola
He led a gang involved in bank robberies in the early 2000s, including that at the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) branch in Cabuyao, Laguna, where 10 people were killed.
Colanggo was arrested in 2009 and was sentenced to reclusion perpetua (imprisonment of up to 40 years) by the Parañaque Regional Trial Court on May 10, 2013.
Colanggo now heads the Carcel Side of the Maximum Security Compound of the New Bilbid Prison (NBP) with 7,000 members from various gangs from the Visayas and Mindanao. He is said to be now involved in illegal drugs and is one of the richest inmates.
He appealed for humanitarian consideration citing his deteriorating health, thus the need to post bail to seek medical treatment outside prison.
In his petition for bail with motion to admit additional evidence filed before the Court of Appeals, Colanggo said the evidence of his guilt is not strong.
He appealed for humanitarian consideration citing his deteriorating health, thus the need to post bail to seek medical treatment outside prison.
Colanggo said he needed optimum and continuous medical treatment,, which might include surgery for chronic back pain and intermittent shooting pain and numbness on both lower extremities and recurring urinary complaints.
“We find no merit in accused-appelant’s [Colanggo] petition for bail … Considering that bail pending appeal is only discretionary when the applicant is convicted of an offense not punishable by death, reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment, accused-appellant is not eligible to be granted bail as a matter of course,” the appeals court said.
[T]he CA added that unlike Enrile, Colanggo failed to demonstrate “utter respect for the legal processes of this country … to merit the leniency of this Court.”
The CA added that the case of former Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile who was allowed to post bail despite facing a case for plunder, was not applicable to Colanggo. It explained that Enrile had not yet been convicted and the trial of his case was still ongoing.
Also, the CA added that unlike Enrile, Colanggo failed to demonstrate “utter respect for the legal processes of this country … to merit the leniency of this Court.”
Colanggo insisted on his constitutional right to bail and the evidence of guilt against him is not strong, to which the appeals court said that “after one is convicted by the trial court, the presumption of innocence and with it, the constitutional right to bail ends.”
“Considering that a review of a criminal case on appeal opens the whole case for an appellate court’s consideration, we find that there is no need for a re-opening of the assailed decision at this point,” the appeals court said.
“Considering that a review of a criminal case on appeal opens the whole case for an appellate court’s consideration, we find that there is no need for a re-opening of the assailed decision at this point,” the appeals court said.
Colanggo recently hugged the headlines after he testified against Senator Leila De Lima before a congressional inquiry on the proliferation of illegal drugs inside Bilibid.
He was one of the 19 inmates transferred to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after a December 2014 raid discovered that they were living a posh lifestyle despite incarceration.
He has also managed to record a music video inside prison. CBB/rga
