ZAMBOANGA
CITY, Oct. 24 (PNA) -– The Ombudsman has dismissed all the cases filed by an
arrested alleged drug queen against the former chief of the Zamboanga City
Public Safety Company (ZCPSC) and his personnel.
The
Ombudsman, in a nine-page joint resolution dated September 30, 2016, stated
that all cases filed by Nurhana Musa Lao against Supt. Ariel Huesca and his men
were all dismissed. Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang penned
the decision.
Among
the cases Lao filed against Huesca and several John Does on January 23, 2015
were for violation of Section 3(e), Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt
Practices Act); violation of Presidential Decree 807; Robbery, Article 294,
Revised Penal Code; Violation of Executive Order No. 292; Violation of Section
4, R.A. 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and
Employees); and, Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service.
The
filing of cases by Lao was an offshoot of the Internal Security Operations
(ISO) conducted by ZCPSC in Barangay Recodo, this city, on December 26, 2014
that resulted in the confiscation of cash amounting to PhP1.6 million; illegal
drugs; several paraphernalia for illegal drugs; ammunition; one unit Frontier
Nissan Navarra Pick-up color Platinum Silver owned by Lao; one unit Toyota
Hi-Ace Van, a carnapped vehicle per verification made at Regional Highway
Patrol Unit 9; and, filing of appropriate cases against Lao and several others
for violations of R.A. 9165 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous
Drugs Act of 2002.
The
Ombudsman dismissed these cases as it found no probable cause to hold Huesca
and his men liable for the offenses charged for they just faithfully performed
their duties and functions in accordance with law thus “presumption of
regularity in the performance of official duty extends in their favor.”
Huesca
received a copy of the Ombudsman decision on Friday, October 21.
The
cases the Ombudsman have dismissed were not the only ones that Lao filed
against Huesca.
She
also filed a civil case for Recovery of Chattel with Prayer for Application of
Writ of Replevin on January 12, 2015 at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch
16 in this city.
The
RTC Branch 16 dismissed the case for “lack of jurisdiction over the subject
matter of the complaint and for lack cause of action.”
The
RTC Branch 16 turned down the motion for reconsideration Lao had filed through
her legal counsel.
One
of Lao’s lawyers filed another administrative case at the office of The
Directorate for Investigation and Detection Management (TDIDM) in Camp Crame.
The case was also dismissed.
The
ZCPSC, then headed by Huesca, kept Lao and her cohorts on the run and even
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Regional Director Joseph Ladip
admitted the ZCPSC was the one that lessened the illegal drug trade in Barangay
Recodo.
Ladip
said the ZCPSC played a significant role in freezing Lao’s several bank
accounts containing billions of pesos.
The
bank accounts of Lao were frozen based on the resolution of the Court of
Appeals’ second division dated September 2, 2015.
The
city government has fully supported Huesca and the ZCPSC personnel by providing
lawyers and reimbursement of expenses.
