Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 16) — The Ilocos regional police and the Department of Justice are working on a motion for reconsideration after a court dismissed an illegal drug case against Julian Ongpin, the son of business tycoon Roberto Ongpin.
“Police Regional Office 1 through its Regional Legal Service is closely coordinating with the Department of Justice for the filing of Motion for Reconsideration,” said Ilocos police regional director PBGEN Emmanel Peralta in a statement on Tuesday. ““[W]e commit our full support on this legal remedy.”
Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento also told CNN Philippines that they may file the motion “early next week.” He said motions for reconsideration must be filed within 15 days after notice of the case’s dismissal.
The Regional Trial Court Branch 27 of San Fernando City in La Union junked the case on Monday, citing “lack of probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest.”
But the police maintained that it responded to a call for assistance regarding an “alleged dead person,” stressing that the operation was not a drug sting and the recovery of the evidence was just incidental.
Last month, the Justice Department filed a non-bailable case of possession of illegal drugs against Ongpin after authorities retrieved 12.6 grams of cocaine in a hostel room in San Juan, La Union. It was the room he shared with his supposed girlfriend, painter Bree Jonson, who was found dead.
“Unfortunately, the [Regional Trial Court] did not consider these circumstances that led to the dismissal of the drug case. This is a very uncommon or peculiar case,” Peralta noted.
He said he ordered a case review to check lapses in the investigation, but he also assured the family of Johnson that the incident was examined “professionally and impartially with no attempt to cover up or favor anybody.”
