DOJ welcomes Makati court ruling convicting cops for kidnapping
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday welcomed a ruling by the Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) convicting five former Pasay City police officers of kidnapping.
“The DOJ is steadfast in its commitment to uphold the Rule of Law. SOJ (Secretary of Justice) is making sure the Department is equipped with all the necessary tools and programs to make sure justice is served,” Atty. Mico Clavano of the Office Secretary of Justice said in a message.
Assistant state prosecutors Lovherette Jeffrey Villordon and Joan Carla Guevarra prosecuted the case.
In a 51-page decision, Makati RTC Branch 148 Presiding Judge Andres Bartolome Soriano has convicted five former cops of kidnapping and sentenced them to a maximum prison term of 40 years.
He also ordered the former cops to restitute the PNP Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) of P100,000 and indemnify the victim P50,000.
In arriving at the decision of conviction, Judge Soriano considered the testimonies of the victim and witnesses as “credible, straightforward, and consistent”.
He also junked the defense of alibi interposed by the suspects following the positive identification of witnesses.
The former police officers arrested the victim on drug charges, brought him to the police station, and later demanded P100,000 for his release.
