Court asks DOJ to resolve
Honasan plea for review
of evidence

THE Makati regional trial court yesterday asked the Department of Justice to immediately resolve the petition for review filed by independent senatorial bet Gregorio Honasan in connection with the coup d’etat case filed against him for allegedly masterminding the 2003 Oakwood mutiny.

Makati RTC branch 148 Judge Oscar Pimentel asked the DOJ in open court to expedite the resolution of Honasan’s petition filed last May 9 as he granted Honasan’s petition to defer his arraignment to June 14.

Pimentel gave the state prosecutors headed by Juan Pedro Navera just 20 days, instead of the usual 60 days under the Rules of Court, to resolve the matter.

In yesterday’s hearing, Honasan’s counsel Cherrie Cruz also pointed out her client cannot be arraigned since the court has yet to approve the amended information filed by the DOJ citing her client as the leader of the Magdalo group which seized the Oakwood Premiere Hotel in Makati’s central business district on July 27, 2003.

Honasan has questioned the amended information and described the situation as a continuing effort to persecute him while refusing to say who was doing the persecution.

"This is the fourth time that the charge against me was amended and this is highly and legally unusual. It made me think that their objective is to have my bail recalled," Honasan told reporters outside the courtroom.

Honasan added that he is confident of being acquitted if given a level playing field by the justice department.