Atimonan rubout trial moved to Manila court

The Supreme Court has granted the request of the Department of Justice to transfer from Quezon province to Metro Manila the trial of 13 policemen charged in the rubout of a suspected gambling lord and his companions in Atimonan, Quezon, in January last year.

In a resolution dated June 9, the high court First Division ordered the transfer of the multiple murder case against the accused,  including Supt. Hansel Marantan, from Branch 61 of the regional trial court (RTC) in Gumaca, Quezon, to the RTC  of Manila.

The high court directed the Gumaca RTC to forward its records of the multiple murder case to the Office of the Clerk of Court of the Manila RTC.

It also ordered the Manila RTC executive judge to raffle off the case among the branches there.

Prosecutor General Claro Arellano had requested in October last year the transfer of the venue of the trial, citing “the greater security risk involved” if the trial continues to be held in Gumaca.

In his Oct. 21 letter to the high court through Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, Arellano said all the accused, except for three who are at large, had to be transported from the Philippine National Police Detention Center at Camp Crame, Quezon City, to Gumaca, that was  “not only a great risk in securing their persons but at the same time extensively entails a higher cost on the part of the government.”

“Moreover, the climate in Gumaca, Quezon, is not conducive to the holding of the  trial as the witnesses, as well as the accused, are vulnerable to threats from extremists in the area considering the political and economic status of the personalities involved in these cases and the geographical location of the said municipality,” Arellano added.

Marantan and 12 other policemen are facing multiple murder charges for the  Jan. 6, 2013, rubout of suspected gambling lord Vic Siman and 12 others in Atimonan town,  also in  Quezon.