Lawyer Salvador Panelo on Wednesday blasted Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla for red-tagging suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. and indicting him as the mastermind behind the assassination of Gov. Roel Degamo last March 4.
At the Pandesal Forum at the Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City, Panelo said Remulla “has classified Teves as a terrorist. He said he would work it out at the Anti-Terrorism Council, of which is a member.”
“He charged (Teves). He is the accuser. He is the judge. That’s wrong,” Panelo, the former chief presidential legal counsel and ex-spokesman of President Rodrigo Duterte, stressed.
Just like Teves, dismissed Bureau of Corrections direction general Gerald Bantag was also indicted without the conduct of a preliminary investigation, Panelo lamented.
The government filed murder charges against Bantag, accused of being the mastermind behind broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa’s death.
According to Panelo, Remulla deemed as “case closed” the murder of Degamo and eight others, who were attacked by gunmen inside the governor’s residence in Pamplona town five months ago.
Sixteen others were wounded in the attack.
Panelo said Teves was indicted without going through a preliminary investigation.
“The Justice Secretary said there was probable cause. How can the prosecutors dismiss the charges if that is what the secretary is saying?” he asked.