DOJ orders indictment of Ongpin

The Department of Justice. (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer).

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday ordered the criminal indictment of art patron Julian Ongpin, the person of interest in the death of visual artist Breanna “Bree” Jonson, for possession of illegal drugs.

In a case briefer, the DOJ said a panel of state prosecutors recommended the filing of a complaint for violation of Section 11 of Republic Act No. 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, against the son of billionaire Roberto Ongpin, the former trade minister of ousted strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

Ongpin, 29, was charged and briefly held by the police after more than 12 grams of cocaine were recovered inside the room where he and his girlfriend Jonson were staying in San Juan town, La Union, on the day she died on Sept. 18.

The case was supposed to be a nonbailable offense, but the local prosecutor ordered Ongpin’s release from police custody to conduct a regular preliminary investigation instead of directly filing a criminal complaint, which would have kept Ongpin in prison during the trial.

“The criminal information against Mr. Ongpin will be filed at the Regional Trial Court, San Fernando City, La Union,” the DOJ said. INQ