By SHIELA MAE BUTLIG, Correspondent
REP. Rufus Rodriguez of the city’s second district has expressed helplessness over the dismissal of some 100 drug cases as a result of the burning of evidence in the January fire at the Hall of Justice even as he appealed to citizens to resort to prayers as authorities watch the drug suspects being released from prisons one by one.
“We will just pray that they (drug suspects) will not commit the same crime again, and just consider their freedom as their second chance,” said Rodriguez.
The congressman appealed to the freed inmates to learn from their mistakes. “Atong panawagan, kay natagamtaman naman nila ang ma-priso… maghangyo ta nga magbinuotan na sila… Ang atong hangyo sa mga inmates nga magbino-otan na sila.”
Rodriguez, a lawyer by profession, said officials would not be able to do anything because of “the rule of law.” He said no one can be convicted of committing any crime without evidence, and prosecutors would not be able to do anything to salvage the cases unless the pieces of evidence can be presented in court.
Another official, Misamis Oriental Vice Gov. Jose Marie Pelaez, frowned over the dismissal of the drug cases that were not reconstituted due to the absence of evidence, saying the prospects of a deluge of drug suspects from the jails to the city streets were “very deplorable.”
He said drug pushers should not be allowed to go scot-free but like Rodriguez, he said there was nothing elected officials could do about it because there are legal processes.
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