Lapu-Lapu prosecutors: Duterte’s order to detain anew Silawan’s murder suspect will not influence murder probe

The 17-year-old suspect (center face covered with cloth) is escorted by NBI agents to the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, March 18, 2019, to face murder charges for the slaying of 16-year-old Christine Lee Silawan. | CDN file photo

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — A phone call from President Rodrigo Duterte  will not influence the course of the preliminary investigation being conducted by the panel of prosecutors of the Lapu-lapu City Prosecutors Office on the murder case lodged against the 17-year-old suspect in the murder of Christine Lee Silawan.

City Prosecutor Ruso Zaragosa admitted that he was questioned by the President in a phone conversation on why he ordered the release of the suspect last Friday, March 22.

“Gipasabot nako nganong ingon ana among decision nga wala mo-fall  sa hot pursuit ang pagdakop sa bata. Convinced ra siya but naa pud siyay gisulti nga basin masulod ra sa hot pursuit [ang pagdakop]. Mura ra mig nag estorya, nag discuss,” Zaragosa said.

Read more: Duterte orders re-arrest of suspect in Christine Silawan killing

(I explained why we came up with the decision that the arrest of the boy did not fall under the principle of hot pursuit. He was convinced but he also mentioned that perhaps the arrest could still fall under hot pursuit. We just talked and discussed about the case.)

“[The arrest] wa mo-fall sa principle of hot pursuit operation. Mao to nga gi-terminate nato ang inquest proceeding and gi-convert nato to regular filing for Preliminary Investigation (P.I.) unya naa man na sa procedure nga you have to release the detained person,” Zaragosa explained.

Read more: Suspect in the Christine Silawan murder released

The P.I. would last up to 60 days since the filing of the case on March 11.

Zaragosa said that President Duterte would have really wanted for the boy to be rearrested. However,  Zaragosa maintained that a resolution ordering for the rearrest may not be necessary.

Lawyer Vincent Isles, counsel of the teen suspect, earlier said that the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) could not file for a motion for reconsideration (MR) to revert the earlier resolution of the prosecutors, based on the procedures in court.

But on Wednesday, March 27, Zaragosa met with the parent of the 17-year-old suspect who later agreed that the boy be returned to the youth care facility run by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Lapu-lapu City “for his own safety.”

“Delikado baya siya sa pagkakaron kay dunay mga tawo nga nasuko niya nga gibuhian siya. kung basahon sa  facebook moingon nga ‘asa na iyang balay kay ako na lang ang mopatay.’ Mas maayo nga adto siya sa homecare para protektado siya walay modagmal niya diha,” Zaragosa said.

The prosecutor however clarified that the boy’s return to the youth care facility is only equivalent to protective custody and not detention./elb

Read more: Teen suspect in Silawan slay to be sent back to youth care center ‘for his protection’