DOJ clears ex-Batangas vice gov Recto in 2006 bombing incident

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has cleared former Batangas vice governor Richard "Ricky" Recto of criminal charges stemming from the June 2006 bombing that killed two people and injured then-Batangas governor Armando Sanchez.

Government prosecutor Fidel Macauyag, in June 2009, had previously found probable cause to charge Recto with murder, frustrated murder and damage to property. Recto was charged along with at least six others with whom he allegedly conspired, but his camp asked the DOJ to reconsider its findings.

After reviewing the case, Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva overturned the earlier findings and said he found the “non-existence of probable cause” to hold Recto for trial.

Villanueva said a perusal of the statements submitted by the investigating police authorities showed that “there was never any meeting of the minds, no concrete agreement or plan was arrived at, no conspiracy was ever established, no definite personalities were identified that would be the subject and as to who would effectuate such plan were discussed.”

Villanueva said the statements given by military officers accused in the crime were based on hearsay evidence as told to them allegedly by their co-respondents.

“The evidence on hand points that the bombing could have been perpetrated by any other individual,” Villanueva said.

The case stemmed from the June 1, 2006 bombing attack on Sanchez's vehicle inside the Batangas Provincial Capitol that killed his driver Luisito Icaro and close-in security PO2 Eric Landicho.

Recto is the older brother of Senator Ralph Recto and brother-in-law of incumbent Batangas governor Vilma Santos-Recto.

Following the bombing incident, Sanchez still decided to run for re-election in the 2007 gubernatorial race against Santos-Recto. He lost. — Mark Merueñas/KBK, GMA News