Julian Ongpin (File photo) MANILA - Government prosecutors will present additional evidence against Julian Ongpin on Monday after the La Union Regional Trial Court (RTC) hearing the motion for reconsideration of the junked drug possession charges against the billionaire's son agreed. San Fernando, La Union RTC Branch 27 Judge Romeo Agacita Jr. ordered a video hearing, Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento told reporters via text message on Friday. "A presentation of evidence on the motion (is) set on December 7," Malcontento said. The La Union RTC earlier dismissed the criminal case for lack of probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest against Ongpin, who was caught with 12.685 grams of cocaine at a hostel room in San Juan town on September 18. The policemen who arrested Ongpin failed to comply with the provisions of Section 21 of Republic Act No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act) that requires compliance with the chain of custody of seized illegal drugs, acco
Julian Ongpin (File photo) MANILA - Government prosecutors will present additional evidence against Julian Ongpin on Monday after the La Union Regional Trial Court (RTC) hearing the motion for reconsideration of the junked drug possession charges against the billionaire's son agreed. San Fernando, La Union RTC Branch 27 Judge Romeo Agacita Jr. ordered a video hearing, Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento told reporters via text message on Friday. "A presentation of evidence on the motion (is) set on December 7," Malcontento said. The La Union RTC earlier dismissed the criminal case for lack of probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest against Ongpin, who was caught with 12.685 grams of cocaine at a hostel room in San Juan town on September 18. The policemen who arrested Ongpin failed to comply with the provisions of Section 21 of Republic Act No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act) that requires compliance with the chain of custody of seized illegal drugs, acco
MANILA - The La Union Regional Trial Court (RTC) will hear next week the motion for reconsideration (MR) filed by state lawyers on the dismissal of illegal drug charges against Julian Ongpin. In a message to reporters on Friday, Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento said the MR was filed Thursday and has been set for hearing on December 3. "If allowed by the court, the panel (of prosecutors) will present evidence in support of the motion for reconsideration," Malcontento said of the case involving the 29-year-old son of a billionaire and former government official. In an order dated November 15, Judge Romeo Agacita Jr. of the City of San Fernando RTC Branch 27 dismissed the criminal case for lack of probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest against Ongpin, who was caught with 12.685 grams of cocaine at a hostel room on September 18. Agacita noted lapses in the cops' handling of evidence as the sachets of cocaine were not marked at once. "It could not, therefore,
HIGH-PROFILE SUSPECT. Lawyers and security men escort Julian Ongpin (center, in dark eyeglasses) out of the Prosecution Building of the Department of Justice in Manila on Friday (Oct. 1, 2021). Ongpin, who was caught with 12.6 grams of cocaine and tested positive for drug use in La Union on September 18, and the police who handled the case submitted their affidavits. (PNA photo by Ben Pulta) MANILA - The preliminary investigation into the high-profile illegal drug case slapped on Julian Ongpin, son of billionaire Roberto Ongpin, began on Friday. In an update sent to the media, the office of Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento said the arresting officers and police forensics investigators who handled the case in La Union also appeared, along with Ongpin and his lawyers, at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila. As a matter of policy, the DOJ will not identify the prosecutors who are handling the case. "The complainants from the Philippine National Police submitted their su