Manila court acquits ‘nanlaban’ survivor of drug charges

A Manila court has acquitted a drug suspect whom police had accused of fighting back to resist arrest in a supposed buy-bust operation in Malate two years ago.

According to Ivan Mayrina's report on "24 Oras", Judge Alfredo Ampuan of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 40 has cleared Francisco Maneja Jr. of the charges.

The court was unconvinced of the police's story that Maneja, a tricycle driver, was wounded in a legitimate buy-bust operation in 2016.

Maneja, the police claimed, fought back and was injured when police shot him. 

The judge questioned the documents involved in the purported operation and the police's procedure, saying the evidence was marked in the hospital instead of at the crime scene, in the presence of reporters who could have served as witnesses.

The P500 marked money allegedly paid to Maneja was also not recovered.

Maneja's version of events said he was taken from his tricycle queue and brought to the police precinct, beaten and coerced to reveal the addresses of two alleged drug pushers in Malate.

He was reportedly released from detention last August 7 but was not found at his listed address.

Officers at the Manila Police District are studying their next move in the wake of the court's decision. —Nicole-Anna Lagrimas/NB, GMA News