Palace welcomes dismissal of murder raps vs. NAPC chair Liza Maza

Malacañang on Tuesday welcomed the dismissal of murder charges against National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Lead Convenor Liza Maza.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, who once urged Maza to surrender to authorities and prove her innocence in court, said the NAPC chief can now go back to work.

“Of course that proves that the legal system is working. We’re happy that Secretary Liza Maza can come back to work,” Roque said at a news conference.

“Now that she has no oustanding warrant of arrest I suppose she can go back to work.”

Acting Presiding Judge Trese Wenceslao of  the Palayan City, Nueva Ecija Regional Trial Court dismissed the murder charges and lifted the arrest warrant against Maza, a former Gabriela party-list representative, for lack of probable cause.

The court also junked the charges against Maza’s co-accused, namely, former Bayan Muna representatives Satur Ocampo and Teddy Casiño and former Anakpawis party-list Representative and former Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano.

The dismissal came after Branch 40 Judge Evelyn Atienza-Turla, who issued the arrest warrants in connection with the 2006 case, inhibited supposedly due to pressure.

The case stemmed from the abduction and killing of Danilo Felipe in 2001, Jimmy Peralta in 2003, and Carlito Bayudang in 2004.

Felipe, Peralta, and Bayudang were reportedly supporters of rival Akbayan party-list.

Akbayan, however, said it is not a party to the case and that it believed the former lawmakers were not involved in the crime.

Malacañang also clarified that the Duterte administration had no involvement in the issuance of the arrest warrant against the leftist leaders. —KBK, GMA News