Murder case against Dumpit to be re-raffled on Monday

CEBU, Philippines - Regional Trial Court executive judge Meinrado Paredes has ordered the re-raffling of the murder case against SPO1 Adonis Dumpit following the inhibition of the second judge handling the case last month.

The records of the case were already returned to the criminal records division and will be included in the regular raffle of cases on Monday.

RTC judge Bienvenido Saniel voluntarily inhibited himself from hearing the case after the mother of the victim accused him of partiality when he ruled to return the case to the Office of the Ombudsman for the Military for reinvestigation.

Saniel granted Dumpit’s motion for reinvestigation on the ground that he was not given due process to answer the complaint. Janeth Badana, mother of suspected robber Ronron Go, said Saniel showed his bias for the accused and moved for his inhibition.

Badana also asked for the reconsideration of the ruling which Saniel did not act on to give way to whoever is the new judge assigned to handle the case.

The murder case against Dumpit was first assigned to RTC Branch 23 judge Generosa Labra but the latter begged off from the case after she discovered that the victim was a minor.

Labra remanded the case to the records division for re-raffling which was eventually raffled off to Saniel.

The Office of the Ombudsman for the military earlier indicted Dumpit for murder after finding probable cause that he intentionally shot and killed Go last Dec. 14, 2004 in barangay Tejero during a follow-up operation of a jeepney robbery in the North Reclamation Area. —Fred P. Languido/BRP (THE FREEMAN)