W. Visayas prosecutors express support for colleagues
Provincial and City Prosecutors in Region VI expressed support yesterday to their colleagues involved in the ‘Alabang Boys’ controversy, and condemned the attacks against State Prosecutors.
Led by Iloilo Provincial Prosecutor Bernabe Dusaban, who is also the Vice-President for Visayas of the National Prosecutor’s League of the Philippines, 17 other city and provincial prosecutors in the entire Western Visayas signed the manifesto of support for Justice Sec. Raul Gonzalez, Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño, and other state prosecutors who handled the case against Richard Brodett, Joseph Tecson, and Jorge Jordan Joseph, now collectively known as the ‘Alabang Boys.’
The expression of support comes in the wake of President Arroyo’s order for several state prosecutors to go on leave to allow an investigation into the allegations made by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency that prosecutors handling the case of the Alabang Boys were bribed to dismiss charges of drug pushing and possession against the three members of prominent families.
“The Prosecutors of Western Visayas, greatly affected by the baseless allegations made by the PDEA and supported by the pretenders of the defenders of justice, seriously condemns the seemingly trial by publicity being conducted by these quarters and hereby manifest their entire and full support to the members of the Task Force who conducted investigation of the Alabang Boys, the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor and the Secretary himself…” the two-page manifesto reads.
“The present plight of the said Prosecutors allegedly involved not only cast doubt to the honesty, integrity and humility of the Prosecutors but on the institution itself,” the manifesto further says.