THE Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) on Tuesday, March 27, recommended to President Rodrigo R. Duterte the issuance of a preventive suspension order against Department of Justice (DoJ) prosecutors who dismissed the drug charges filed against alleged drug lord Peter Go Lim, confessed drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa, convicted drug lord Peter Co, and more than 20 alleged accomplices.

“The PACC is recommending, for the approval of the President, that the recommendation be regarded as formal charge against the panel of prosecutors and CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group),” the commission said in a statement, referring as well to the police agency that charged the aforementioned accused.

The dismissal of the drug charges are “embodied in the DoJ Resolution dated 20 December 2017 issued by the panel of prosecutors namely: Assistant State Prosecutors Michael John M. Humarang, Aristotle M. Reyes, recommended for approval by Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Rassendell Rex F. Gingoyon, and approved by former Acting Prosecutor General Jorge G. Catalan,” the statement noted.

PACC also asked Mr. Duterte to “subject concerned officials to (a) lifestyle check.”

The commission said the prosecutors violated “the RA 9165 (Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) rules, and regulations when it failed, if not refused, to set a clarificatory hearing in order to ascertain the truthfulness of the testimonies of the parties and the veracity of submitted documents.”

“Something is fishy. The dismissal of (the) Espinosa drug case will not be taken sitting down by the PACC,” the commission’s chairman, Dante L. Jimenez, said in the statement.

He added: “Our mandate is to assist the Office of the President to investigate corrupt and erring public officials in relation to the performance of their duties, and this is exactly what we will do.”

For his part, PACC Commissioner Greco Antonious Beda B. Belgica said the prosecutors’ decision “is very disturbing.”

“The prosecuting panel must and should have exerted all efforts to serve justice to the people and to our country,” he added.

Regarding the CIDG, the commission cited its failure “to submit relevant and vital documents to the case such as transcript of stenographic note of the Senate hearing (which) manifests gross inexcusable negligence, a betrayal on their sworn duty to monitor, investigate, and prosecute crimes of such magnitude and extent.”

“The incompetence in preparation of (a) complete and comprehensive complaint to stop illegal drugs brought a great deal to perpetuate (a) miscarriage of justice,” Mr. Belgica said. — Arjay L. Balinbin

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