13 December 2005
Death threats vs. judge, suspects in Paas case
TAYUG -- The Paas murder and theft case is taking a much more serious turn here with regional trial court Judge Ulysses Raciles Butuyan, who had dismissed the complaint against the two suspects last November 30 now reportedly getting death threats.
Butuyan admitted last week to several mediamen that there is a present threat to his life by people whose identities he prefers not to divulge as yet. A source close to the judge said the National Bureau of Investigation has likewise told him that the threat to the court magistrate’s and the two suspects lives “is real.”
Butuyan who presides over RTC Branch 51 here did not reply to queries sent by this paper thru text message on whether he has requested for a security detail for himself and at the RTC compound here.
Some Tayug residents however confirmed that some policemen have been seen stationed at the trial court building a few days after the judge issued his resolution dismissing the Paas case.
A hot verbal tussle had ensued earlier between the lawyer-son of murdered Pasig City RTC judge Estrellita Paas and Butuyan when the latter refused to issue arrest warrants against the two suspects, Jornald Vargas and Elmer Cabiles, before he (Butuyan) has satisfied himself that there was sufficient evidence and “probable cause” to do so.
Ronald Paas, the murdered judge’s son standing as private prosecutor of the case,
said Butuyan’s resolution dismissing the case was unfair because it was issued haphazardly, noting that “it took him (Butuyan) only nine days to throw away the case.”
Judge Paas was brutally killed inside their home in Natividad sometime in the afternoon of September, this year. At that time, her husband was out attending a school activity.
Butuyan said he waited in his sala till the afternoon of Nov. 30 for the formal written motion of the Paas counsel calling for his inhibition from hearing the case but this never came. Thus, he said, he had to dismiss the cases on the ground of lack of probable cause against the accused or else he would be accused of being lazy and slow in his job.
When the motion did come at 9:30 a.m. of December 2, Butuyan issued an order stating that the Court finds no compelling reason to address the issues raised by Paas but nevertheless noted it.
Court sources said they believe the judge had doubts about the alleged confession and statements of suspect Cabiles taken by investigating authorities, after noting several inconsistencies in these.
The Paas family thru counsel however maintained that the police as well as the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor conducted a thorough investigation.
A separate source from Tayug said “there was more than meets the eye” in the celebrated murder case and that the two suspects caught by the police may not have acted just by themselves in the gruesome murder.
Butuyan admitted last week to several mediamen that there is a present threat to his life by people whose identities he prefers not to divulge as yet. A source close to the judge said the National Bureau of Investigation has likewise told him that the threat to the court magistrate’s and the two suspects lives “is real.”
Butuyan who presides over RTC Branch 51 here did not reply to queries sent by this paper thru text message on whether he has requested for a security detail for himself and at the RTC compound here.
Some Tayug residents however confirmed that some policemen have been seen stationed at the trial court building a few days after the judge issued his resolution dismissing the Paas case.
A hot verbal tussle had ensued earlier between the lawyer-son of murdered Pasig City RTC judge Estrellita Paas and Butuyan when the latter refused to issue arrest warrants against the two suspects, Jornald Vargas and Elmer Cabiles, before he (Butuyan) has satisfied himself that there was sufficient evidence and “probable cause” to do so.
Ronald Paas, the murdered judge’s son standing as private prosecutor of the case,
said Butuyan’s resolution dismissing the case was unfair because it was issued haphazardly, noting that “it took him (Butuyan) only nine days to throw away the case.”
Judge Paas was brutally killed inside their home in Natividad sometime in the afternoon of September, this year. At that time, her husband was out attending a school activity.
Butuyan said he waited in his sala till the afternoon of Nov. 30 for the formal written motion of the Paas counsel calling for his inhibition from hearing the case but this never came. Thus, he said, he had to dismiss the cases on the ground of lack of probable cause against the accused or else he would be accused of being lazy and slow in his job.
When the motion did come at 9:30 a.m. of December 2, Butuyan issued an order stating that the Court finds no compelling reason to address the issues raised by Paas but nevertheless noted it.
Court sources said they believe the judge had doubts about the alleged confession and statements of suspect Cabiles taken by investigating authorities, after noting several inconsistencies in these.
The Paas family thru counsel however maintained that the police as well as the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor conducted a thorough investigation.
A separate source from Tayug said “there was more than meets the eye” in the celebrated murder case and that the two suspects caught by the police may not have acted just by themselves in the gruesome murder.
