DAVAO CITY –- The city police released on Tuesday, January 19, ten residents of Barangay Paquibato who were earlier charged with attempted murder after a court dismissed the cases filed against them.
Documents received by Newsline disclosed that the suspects were freed based on a court order dated Jan. 19, 2021 and signed by Judge Jill Jaugan-Lo, Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 14.
The court decided to dismiss the case after the three complainants, CAA Reynante G. Dominguez, CAA Agapito M. Limpag, and CAA Loreto Bugcal Lerita, executed an Affidavit of Desistance on January 12.
In her decision, Judge Lo clarified that without the testimonies of the complainants, ‘the prosecution is now bereft of evidence to prove the guilt of all the accused beyond a reasonable doubt.’
The suspects were accused of attempted murder due to their alleged involvement in some killing incidents in the said barangay in line with the struggle of the New People’s Army (NPA).
The local government of Davao City, the police, and the military were noted as trying their best to make the Paquibato district a peaceful place. This is why Peace 911 was reactivated in the barangay in October last year.
Located in the mountainous part of Davao City, Paquibato district, which serves as the boundary of the provinces of Davao del Norte and Bukidnon, became a ‘Breeding Ground’ for the rebel group for several years now. Because of its distance from the city, the socio-economic needs of its residents were hardly given attention.
With the activation of the Peace 911, the people felt the care of the government for them, the reason why their trust has been restored and they now extend their all-out support to the development initiatives being implemented by the government in their barangay.
The efforts to make Paquibato a peaceful and progressive barangay are being implemented through the activation of Peace 911 by the City Government of Davao, 1003rd Infantry Battalion, 27th IB, Davao City Police Office, Paquibato PNP, and the Barangay Officials and residents of the place.
The city’s Peace 911 was pioneered by lawyer Eliza Evangelista-Lapiña who now serves as the Municipal Administrator of Sto. Tomas in Davao del Norte.- Newsline.ph
