By Joel M. Sy Egco

THE Supreme Court will closely monitor the case involving the former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, who was arrested Thursday for allegedly pointing his gun at several people in Quezon City Thursday.

The lawyer, Jose Grapilon, was released on P2,000 bail after a city prosecutor dropped three of four charges that police filed against him, including one for illegal gun possession.

Supt. Ferdinand Ampil, commander of the Quezon City Police District Station 10, expressed disappointment over the prosecutor’s decision to leave only one charge, grave threat.

“I believe we have done what was right. We filed four charges. The changing of the inquest fiscal’s disposition was quite saddening, but there’s nothing we can do but trust his judgment,” Ampil told Standard Today.

He did not name the prosecutor.

Grapilon is a member of the Sigma Rho fraternity whose members include former Senate President Franklin Drilon and current Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

Immediately after Grapilon’s arrest, Ampil received a number of calls from Grapilon’s friends, said Senior Supt. Magtanggol Gatdula, Quezon City police chief.

Police said they filed four charges—illegal possession of firearms, grave threat, assault and alarm and scandal—in the first inquest.

“But after two to three hours, the fiscal came out with another disposition that amended the first,” Ampil said.

“This time, only the charge of grave threat remained. The case has been filed in court and will be raffled on Monday, probably.”

Supreme Court spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said the justices were watching Grapilon’s case.

“More is expected from members of the Bar, and more so from him since he is a respected member of the Bar, being the former national president of the IBP,” Marquez said.

Magdalena Malana, an official of Roxas village in Quezon City, has accused Grapilon of pointing his gun at her and several others in front of her house on Champaca Street around 4 a.m. Thursday.

Initial reports said Grapilon was on board his Mitsubishi Lancer with his son when they stopped in front of Malana’s house.

Apparently, Grapilon got angry when one of the complainants allegedly shouted at them to dim their car’s headlights, prompting him to get out of the vehicle and point his gun at the complainants. With Rey E. Requejo