PDEA to study court decision in acquittal of Remulla III

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Friday said it would carefully study why the Las Piñas Regional Trial Court acquitted Juanito Remulla III of the charge of possession of illegal drugs.

It was the PDEA agents who arrested Remulla in a controlled delivery operation at Talon Dos, Las Piñas City on October 11. Seized from the operation was a parcel containing P1.3 million worth of suspected kush or high-grade marijuana.

“With utmost respect to the Court’s decision, PDEA will carefully study the reasons behind the exoneration, and exercise due diligence in the conduct of similar operations in the future,” PDEA said in a statement.

“The Court has seen both sides of the case and is in the best position to rule over the merits,” it added.

The Las Piñas City Regional Trial Court Branch 197on Friday acquitted Remulla, saying that there was no clear evidence he had “freely, consciously, and with full knowledge possessed the alleged seized illegal drugs.”

The son of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla had pleaded not guilty to the illegal drug possession charge.

'Reasonable doubt'

In a 34-page decision, the court said there was no clear evidence that Remulla had “freely, consciously, and with full knowledge possessed the alleged seized illegal drugs.”

“There is reasonable doubt that the accused received and possessed the parcel delivered to him with the knowledge, consciousness, and awareness that said parcel contained marijuana,” it said.

The court said that the acceptance of a package during a controlled delivery is not enough to show that the recipient is engaged in unlawful activity.

“Unfortunately, apart from showing that the package or parcel was handed to the accused, the prosecution did not present other evidence to show that the former knew that it contained marijuana,” it said.

'Further redemption'

The Justice secretary said he did not have any hand in the of his son.

He said he also wished his son "further redemption in the future."

“I did not interfere, in any way, with the process. I trusted the process, and I wish my son further redemption in the future,” the secretary said in an ambush interview.

“He has to make something out of his life. He had the right to be presumed innocent in the first place,” he added. —NB, GMA Integrated News