Woman to file charges against CIDG for jail stay

A female BJMP personnel (left) escorts Jocelyn B. Cardona (center) after she was ordered released by Judge Jose Nathaniel Andal of RTC branch 24 on Wednesday afternoon. With them is Jocelyn B. Cardona’s legal counsel Atty. Glen Villariza. (CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO)

The woman who spent a month and one week in jail after being mistaken for a convicted human trafficker will file charges against the regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-7).

“Dili masabot ang akong gibati. Grabeng pag-antos ang akong gi-agian. (I could not understand what I feel. I suffered much behind bars),” Jocelyn Cardona told Cebu Daily News yesterday.

Last Wednesday, Judge Jose Andal of the Regional Trial Court Branch 24 ordered jail officials to release Cardona who was arrested by CIDG agents last Dec. 21 after being mistaken as a convicted trafficking offender.

In his order, Judge Andal noted the findings of a fingerprint examiner that the fingerprints of Jocelyn Cardona are different from the real accused who has the same name.

Also, the judge agreed with the observation of the prosecution that the real accused has a mole on her lower jaw based on court records.

In last Wednesday’s hearing, the prosecutor and a representative of the International Justice Mission (IJM) examined Cardona’s face and did not find any mole.

Judge Andal was convinced that the CIDG-7 got the wrong person.

“The fingerprints belong to two different persons. The negative finding is already conclusive as far as the expert is concerned,” Andal said. Cardona, 37, spent 36 days in jail.

Supt. Royina Garma, the new chief of the CIDG-7, begged off from issuing any statement, saying she has no idea yet about the case.