Thursday, June 16, 2016

CA reverses ruling on conviction of 2 Indonesians

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 16): CA reverses ruling on conviction of 2 Indonesians

The Court of Appeals (CA) has reversed its earlier decision upholding the conviction of two Indonesians involved in the Awang Airport bombing in Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao in 2003.

In a six-page resolution released on Wednesday, the CA's Sixteenth Division said that Indonesians Zulkifli Julkifli and Taufiq Rifq had no lawyer when the CA promulgated its decision, which violated their right to counsel.

The decision written by Associate Justice Marie Christine Jacob said that the guilty verdict should only apply to Feliciano De los Reyes and Dinno Amor Pareja, the two other respondents in the case.

The CA said that it discovered the discrepancy when it processed the notice of appeal of De los Reyes and Pareja filed before the Supreme Court (SC).

The CA admitted that it failed to act on the motion for review and withdrawal as counsel filed by Cesar Solis, Rifqi and Julkifli's lawyer.

The CA then resolved to give the two Indonesians a period of 15 days within which to hire a new lawyer.

In a 24-page ruling written by Associate Justice Marie Christine Azcarraga-Jacob, the CA's Special 16th Division denied the appeal filed by the four respondents seeking to set aside the ruling rendered by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 154 finding them guilty of the crime of murder with double attempted murder.

The resolution was promulgated on April 20, 2016.

The respondents, who are members of the notorious Rajah Solaiman Movement, bombed the Awang Airport on Feb. 20, 2003.

The incident led to the death of Sgt. Nelson Corpuz and injured many others.

Several houses were also burned and the airport's terminal building was damaged.

The incident led to the arrest of the accused as well as their conviction.

The respondents, according to the CA's earlier ruling, will face "the penalty of reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole."

The CA also ruled that the award of moral damages be increased to PhP75,000 for the heirs of Sgt. Corpuz.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=895665

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