Regional Trial Court Branch 47 Judge Edgar Garvilles dismissed Monday the illegal drug sale charges against an Architectural firm contractor allegedly arrested with P1 million worth of ecstacy tablets by the Bacolod City Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group in a city resort last year.

Garvilles also ordered the release of accused Angelo Jimenez Bongco, 40, of Henrietta Heights, Bacolod City, from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Brgy. Taculing.

In dismissing the charges, Garvilles, cited the decision of the Department of Justice on August 22 this year that reversed the earlier finding of the City Prosecutor’s Office on July 5, 2011 recommended by inquest prosecutor Dennis Jarder, and approved by City Prosecutor Amando Abanado, finding probable cause to proceed with the criminal charges against the accused.

Egmidio Bongco, the elder brother of Angelo Bongco, said they filed an appeal before the DOJ after the decision of the city prosecutor came out.

With the dismissal of the charges against his brother, the elder Bongco said that their family felt vindicated because the complaints were all trumped up, after all.

He also slammed the Bacolod City Police for arresting his brother and subjecting him to public ridicule by issuing irresponsible statements.

For City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, the dismissal of the charges against Angelo Bongco, has created a major set back in their campaign against illegal drugs.

De la Paz said they are now coordinating with the national office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to file an appeal to review the case of Angelo Bongco.

Angelo Bongco was apprehended in a buy-bust operation led by then CAIDSTOG head Senior Insp. Joemarie Occeño at about 7 p.m. on June 18 near the Las Palmas Village and Beach Club in the city, which allegedly resulted in the recovery of P500,000 in boodle, or fake money, 617 suspected ecstasy pills, a .45 caliber revolver magazine with 5 live ammunitions and his other personal belongings from his CRV Honda car, where an additional 100 suspected ecstasy pills were recovered.*APN

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