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DILG wants probe on Baguio City judge who interfered in cabbie's arrest


Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año on Thursday asked Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta to investigate the judge who allegedly "bullied and shouted" at Baguio City police officers for the release of a suspect in custody.

Año was referring to Baguio City Judge Roberto Mabalot, who ordered the release of a drunk taxi driver who tried to run over Patrolman Julius Walang last December 31.

Walang, who was assigned at the Baguio City Traffic Enforcement Unit, was seen in a viral video, hanging tightly on the hood of a cab driven by Jone Dominguez Buclay who tried to flee due to a traffic violation.

Walang then accosted the taxi driver and tried to issue a citation ticket for causing traffic along Abanao Street.

Buclay was later on brought to the Baguio City Police Station to face charges of direct assault upon an agent of authority, driving under the influence of alcohol, resisting arrest, grave threat and oral defamation.

However, even before the police could file a case against the cabbie, he was fetched by Mabalot.

The police officers on duty said Mabalot shouted at them without asking about the incident and afterwards left the station with Buclay.

Año said such complete disregard of the law and use of the padrino system should "never be tolerated and is very unbecoming" of Mabalot as an arbiter of the law.

“There is a proper forum to secure the release of the suspect and that is not the police station. He must wait for the police to process the case, the prosecutor to file charges against the suspect and for the case to be raffled to his sala before he can assume jurisdiction," he said.

"The said judge has to follow the law, just like all of us. As guardian of the law, a judge must serve as an example in following the law and not in breaking it,” Año added.

With this, Año asked the SC to investigate the case.

"Sana ay matulungan tayo ng SC at maimbestigahan nila agad ang asal ng judge na ito. We should not let these people get away with abuse of power in our country," he said.

Año, meanwhile, lauded Walang for "hanging on to his life as he was performing his sworn duty."

"Salamat, Patronman Julius Walang, sa tapat at walang takot na pagtupad sa iyong tungkulin. Kailangan natin ng mga pulis na katulad mo na hindi nagdadalawang-isip na itaya ang buhay para sa tawag ng tungkulin. Mabuhay ka!," he said.

"May you be an inspiration, not just to the police officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP), but to all of us in law enforcement as we perform our duty on a daily basis," he added. —Ma. Angelica Garcia/LDF, GMA News

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