Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II. INQUIRER FILE
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) did not include the confession of Kerwin Espinosa before the Senate when the police filed charges against him and other drug personalities, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Wednesday.
Aguirre made the disclosure amid an uproar after the National Prosecution Service (NPS) of the Department of Justice dismissed the drug charges against Espinosa, alleged drug lord Peter Lim and 20 others due to “weak evidence.”
READ: Drug case vs Peter Lim, others dropped; DOJ cites weak evidence / How the landmark drug case was ‘lost’
“Yung sinasabi nilang admission ni Kerwin sa Senado, walang nagfile niyan. Hindi yan isinubmit bilang ebidensya dito sa kaso ni Kerwin at ni Peter Lim,” Aguirre said in an interview with dzMM.
On Nov. 23, 2016, Espinosa read a sworn statement during a Senate hearing and admitted that he had engaged in the drug trade. He narrated how he started in the business and identified his drug sources, including his alleged protectors in the Philippine National Police.
READ: Kerwin names drug sources in Senate hearing / Kerwin: Cops deep into illegal drugs
The justice secretary said it was not the obligation of prosecutors to listen to the Senate hearings for them to consider the statements done by the high-profile drug suspects.
“Hindi obligasyon ng ating mga piskal na makinig ng lahat ng napag-uusapan sa Senado,” Aguirre said.
“The obligation of the counsels, ng mga parties, ang mag-submit niyan sa ating prosecutor’s office para iyan ay ma-consider,” he added.
He advised the CIDG to get a copy of Espinosa’s confession before the Senate, as well as the testimonies of other drug personalities, and file this when they submit a motion for reconsideration to review the drug case.
On Tuesday, Aguirre set up a new panel of prosecutors that would handle the motion for reconsideration to review the decision of the first panel. /cbb
READ: Aguirre forms panel to review dismissed drug cases vs Lim, Kerwin