AFP respects acquittal of Army officer charged for Jonas Burgos abduction

Jonas Burgos INQUIRER contributed photo

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Thursday said it respects the court decision acquitting Army Maj. Harry Baliaga Jr. of the criminal charges in connection with the 2007 abduction of activist Jonas Burgos.

“We submit to the wise discretion of the court in ascertaining the guilt or innocence of the accused charged before it in deliberate and impartial proceedings,” AFP public affairs chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said.

READ: QC court acquits soldier in Jonas Burgos abduction case

Baliaga was acquitted by the Quezon City regional trial court on Thursday. He was one of those who allegedly snatched Burgos at the Ever Gotesco mall along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City almost 10 years ago.

Part of the verdict said the prosecution “failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the identity of accused Harry Baliaga Jr. as the person who abducted and arbitrarily detained Jonas Burgos.”

Arevalo said they hope this will put to rest the issues that surround the case that hounded the parties since 2007. /jpv