MANILA, Philippines - A local court on Tuesday acquitted former Indanan, Sulu Mayor Alvarez Isnaji and his son, Haider, in the kidnapping of an ABS-CBN news team in June 2008.
An ANC report said the Taguig Regional Trial Court acquitted the Isnajis for the kidnapping of ABS-CBN senior correspondent Ces Drilon and her crew.
In an interview on ANC, private prosecutor Vince Bayhon said he will appeal the decision before the Court of Appeals after the judge failed to consider some of the evidence presented by the prosecution. He said among the evidence presented before the court was an Anti-Money Laundering Council report, detailing the bank accounts of the Isnajis.
He said a separate court even denied the bail petition of the Isnajis.
Bayhon also noted that the decision could be questioned because of possible procedural lapses on the part of the judge.
He said the last hearing of the case was held last March 15, in which the Isnajis were allowed to present their witnesses and evidence. He said prosecutors were waiting for an order from the court admitting the evidence so that the prosecutors could challenge it.
"Procedurally speaking, we are supposed to be given a chance to question the order but since we didn't receive the notice, we weren't given a chance to question it," he said.
He added: "We raised some objection but the court proceeded with the promulgation."
Bayhon admitted that the Isnajis could go free unless a judge issues a temporary restraining order stopping their release. "I know Mayor Isnaji is running for office so he might go back to Sulu," he said.
Drilon and ABS-CBN cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderrama were abducted by suspected Abu Sayyaf members while on assignment in Sulu last June 2008.
The Isnajis helped in the negotiations but were later arrested and charged for allegedly helping the kidnappers.
abs-cbnNEWS.com is the online news department of ABS-CBN Interactive Inc., a subsidiary of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.
as of 04/12/2010 6:39 PMhttp://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/04/12/10/ex-sulu-mayor-son-acquitted-ces-drilon-crew-kidnap
