{"id":153781,"date":"2012-02-29T14:12:03","date_gmt":"2012-02-29T06:12:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/?p=153781"},"modified":"2012-02-29T14:12:03","modified_gmt":"2012-02-29T06:12:03","slug":"lawyer-of-navy-men-in-pestano-murder-case-threatens-impeach-raps-vs-ombudsman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/153781\/lawyer-of-navy-men-in-pestano-murder-case-threatens-impeach-raps-vs-ombudsman","title":{"rendered":"Lawyer of Navy men in Pesta\u00f1o murder case threatens impeach raps vs ombudsman"},"content":{"rendered":"

MANILA, Philippines\u2014The lawyer of Philippine Navy officers accused of murdering Ensign Philip Pesta\u00f1o in 1995 threatened on Wednesday to file an impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales over her decision to revive the case.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO<\/p><\/div>\n

Ana Luz Cristal said Morales, a retired Supreme Court justice,\u00a0 had shown \u201cgross ignorance of the law\u201d when she reversed a 2009 ruling by her predecessor dismissing the complaint against 10 Navy officers allegedly involved in Pesta\u00f1o’s death.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many lapses and errors. This is not just error but gross ignorance of the law. There was no murder. It was a clear case of suicide,\u201d Cristal said.<\/p>\n

In a briefing at Camp Crame, Cristal questioned the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman to forward the murder complaint to the Sandiganbayan even though it lacked jurisdiction.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the Sandiganbayan has no jurisdiction over the respondents, then the Ombudsman has no authority,\u201d Cristal told reporters.<\/p>\n

She said retired Captain Ricardo Ordo\u00f1ez was only a lieutenant commander at the time of Pesta\u00f1o’s death on Sept. 27, 1995 when his body was discovered aboard the Navy vessel BRP Bacolod City with a gunshot wound in the head.<\/p>\n

Under Republic Act 8249, or the Sandiganbayan Law, the anti-graft court only has jurisdiction over officers with rank naval captain and above with salary grade 27 and up.<\/p>\n

Cristal pointed out that the prosecution even erred when it put Ordo\u00f1ez’ rank as naval captain \u201cwith salary grade 26\u201d in the complaint.<\/p>\n

Ordo\u00f1ez, who retired in 2005, and another accused, retired Chief Petty Officer Carlito\u00a0 Amoroso, appeared in the press briefing to maintain their innocence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a lieutenant commander at the time of the incident. I’m puzzled why I need to prove I was a lieutenant commander at the time,\u201d said Ordo\u00f1ez.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been a lay minister since 1997. I could never kill anyone…. They say Philip cannot do such a thing as killing himself. Why, does Philip have the monopoly of idealism, integrity, honor?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Amoroso, the alleged gunman who was initially reported to have died, denied he was responsible for Pesta\u00f1o’s death.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey said I was the killer, and that I was dead. I’m here very much alive. All those involved in the Pesta\u00f1o case are saying the truth and not lying,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Earlier investigations ruled Pesta\u00f1o’s death was a suicide, but his parents refused to believe this and filed a complaint for murder against several Navy officers.<\/p>\n

Last month, the Office of the Ombudsman filed murder charges at the Sandiganbayan against Ordo\u00f1ez; Amoroso, Cmdr. Reynaldo Lopez, Hospital Man 2 Welmenio Aquino, Lt. Cmdr. Luidegar Casis, Lt. Cmdr. Alfrederick Alba, Machinery Repairman 2 Sandy Miranda, Lt. Cmdr. Joselito Colico, Lt. Cmdr. Ruben Roque, and PO2 Mil Leonor Igcasan.<\/p>\n

The officers contested their indictment and insisted that Pesta\u00f1o took his own life. They also said that based on the rank of the officers when the offense was committed, their case should be handled by a regional trial court or a military tribunal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The lawyer of Philippine Navy officers accused of murdering Ensign Philip Pesta\u00f1o in 1995 threatened on Wednesday to file an impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales over her decision to revive the case.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":153783,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,45],"tags":[89,91,66,206094],"byline":[182],"source":[206078],"column":[],"editor":[],"videographer":[],"position":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLawyer of Navy men in Pesta\u00f1o murder case threatens impeach raps vs ombudsman | Inquirer 黑料社<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The lawyer of Philippine Navy officers accused of murdering Ensign Philip Pesta\u00f1o in 1995 threatened on Wednesday to file an impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales over her decision to revive the case.\" \/>\n<meta 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