Criminal charges were filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against detainee Jose Adrian “Jad” Dera and six NBI security personnel following their arrest after going out of the NBI’s detention facility without authorization. Dera was charged with corrupting public officials under Article 212 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) for allegedly bribing his guards to allow him to leave the detention facility for around four hours Tuesday night. On the other hand, charges of alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and infidelity in the custody of prisoners were filed against the six NBI guards who accompanied De Vera. Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson Mico Clavano said ‘heads will roll’ over what transpired in the said incident, He said that based on confirmed reports, Dera went out of the NBI detention center with one job order and five contractual employees detailed with the agency’s Security Division, and that the group was in an NBI van when they were apprehended at around midnight by NBI agents. “I just want to emphasize na itong pangyayari na ito (that this incident) has revealed that there is this connivance between certain people in detention and those in the NBI that allow for them to temporarily go out of the detention center and come back in,’ Clavano said. ‘So, this would not have happened if there was no connivance. Kaya (That’s why) we are hell bent on making heads roll for this incident. This is unacceptable and we will file the necessary disciplinary actions and any other cases that this may warrant,” he said. The NBI said the chief of the Security Management Section has been relieved from his post pending investigation of the case. “Rest assured that the tasked investigators will thoroughly look into the bottom of the incident, including the possible involvement of other personalities, and will immediately file the appropriate criminal and administrative cases,” the NBI said in separate statement. Meanwhile, Dera’s lawyer, Mark Anthony Te, claimed that his client had to hastily leave the NBI compound to seek emergency medical help due to ‘gastritis or acid reflux” that could not be treated by regular antacids. The defense counsel declined to give information about Dera’s itinerary but said it was possible the group ate outside before returning to the NBI compound four hours later. He also claimed that the PHP101,000 in cash seized from the group was from a pool of fund by NBI detainees meant for their meals while under detention. Te said they will file a counter affidavit by July 29, the date set by the DOJ when the respondents are required to submit their counter-affidavit
Source: Philippines News Agency