SENATE Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon on Monday called on the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate Justice Undersecretary Reynante Orceo for downgrading the charges against Supt. Marvin Marcos and his group, who were involved in the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa and Raul Yap inside a jail in Leyte.
He said Marcos and the other former members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Region 8 should be investigated for “manifest partiality, evident bad faith and inexcusable negligence.”
“It is very clear that officials led by Undersecretary Orceo colluded in order for the charges against Marcos and his men to be downgraded from murder to homicide, so that they could post bail and be freed,” said Drilon.
Drilon said there was a clear violation of the anti-graft law on the part of Orceo, who claimed at a Senate hearing that he acted on his own when he downgraded the charges against Marcos and his men.
“His action caused undue injury to the republic and to our justice system. What they did is a mockery of our justice system,” Drilon said.
“That is the very reason why faith in our justice system remains low despite everything that we’ve done to ensure a fair and efficient justice system,” he added.
The minority leader said he will recommend to the committee of public order and committee on justice that a case be filed against Orceo.
“I would ask the committees handling this case that the Senate stand by its finding that Mayor Espinosa was murdered and that we must recommend the filing of appropriate criminal and administrative charges against Orceo and whoever colluded with him,” Drilon said.
A former Justice secretary, Drilon said Orceo violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by “causing any undue injury to any party, including the government in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.”
Earlier, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II supported the DoJ resolution to downgrade the charges against all those involved in the killings.
