Duterte urged to take action against prosecutors for dropping charges against three drug traders

The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) has urged President Rodrigo Duterte to file administrative charges against prosecutors of the Department of Justice for withdrawing charges against alleged drug traders, according to The Manila Times Online on Wednesday. 

The commission, led by Greco Belgica, called on President Duterte on Tuesday (March 27) during which they recommended the charges should be brought against Assistant State Prosecutor Michael John Humarang, Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Rassendell Rex Gingoyon and Chief Prosecutor Jorge Catalan.

The three prosecutors allegedly violated the Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act regarding “manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence”.

PACC also recommended preventive suspension of the trio, pending further investigation of the case.

It further called for the issuance of a show-cause order against the incompetent officers of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for failing to include the testimony of Espinosa in the Senate where he admitted he was really a drug trader.

PACC commissioner Belgica likened the sudden dismissal of charges against the alleged drug traders, including Kerwin Espinosa, Peter Lim, Peter Co and several others, to a duck who joined a violent cockfight.

“The dismissal of the Department of Justice is not different from the duck who participated in a cockfight, it died but it still won. This is one big farce intended to discredit the anti-drug campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte,” said Belgica.