The Court of Appeals (CA) has scrapped a petition asking for inhibition of a Manila judge from handling a murder case filed against a town vice mayor in Masbate and others by his predecessor for being moot and academic.
This, after the appellate court’s 11th Division granted the motion filed by Butuan, Masbate vice mayor Nelson P. Cambaya to withdraw his petition against Manila regional trial court (RTC) Branch 42 Judge Dinnah C. Aguila-Topacio based on a four-page decision promulgated on July 20.
Cambaya decided to withdraw his petition for the inhibition of the magistrate following his acquittal on the murder charges by the Manila RTC on Jan. 16, 2023.
Acquitted alongside Cambaya were former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board member Sandra Cam and five others over the death of former Batuan vice mayor Charlie Yuson III in 2019.
“The proceeding having been concluded, with petitioner having been acquitted of the felonies charged during the promulgation of judgment, the Court sees no reason to resolve the present petition as it would serve no purpose at all. Indeed, the petition has become moot and academic,” the CA said.
Yuson was shot dead by armed men in Sampaloc, Manila in October 2019.
The victim’s wife accused Cam of involvement, claiming the armed men were previously seen in the Masbate resort of the former PCSO official.