By Roy Pelovello

TWO lawmakers yesterday called for a revamp of the Justice Department’s task force on dangerous drugs and demanded the relief of prosecutors who dismissed a high-profile case involving the scions of three wealthy families.

A resolution dismissing the case against Richard Brodett, Joseph Tecson and Jorge Joseph, who were arrested in a September 2008 drug bust, sparked allegations of bribery against Justice officials.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Dionisio Santiago said in testimony before the House this week that he was not accusing the officials of accepting a bribe.

But the chief of the agency’s special enforcement division, Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino, testified that he had turned down two attempts to offer him P3 million to release the three suspects.

“There should be a revamp of the task force or they should resign,” said Cebu Rep. Antonio Cuenco of the prosecutors who signed a Dec. 2 resolution dismissing the case against Brodett, Tecson and Joseph.

Cuenco said he was referring to State Prosecutor John Resado and Senior State Prosecutor Phillip Kimpo, head of the task force on dangerous drugs.

Resado was the prosecutor who signed the resolution rejecting the case against the so-called Alabang Boys.

Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez supported Cuenco’s call, saying the prosecutors had been remiss when they insisted there was no probable cause to file charges against the suspects and wanted them released even before an automatic review by Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez.

The members of the task force should not stay as members for more than one or two years to prevent too much familiarity with the lawyers of suspects charged in drug cases, Golez said.

Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño should set up a system to ensure that all drug-related and other sensitive cases were reviewed before he signed them.

“Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño is doing a good job, but he is loaded [with many cases]. He should make sure that all the cases are reviewed thoroughly,” Golez said.

Golez and Cuenco, as well as Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga and Parañaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita, earlier took Resado and Kimpo to task for ordering the release of the suspects even before the case was reviewed.

Resado insisted during the hearing that this was the usual practice in the department until Jan. 5, when new rules prohibited the release of drug suspects pending automatic review.

Zuño corroborated Resado’s statement, but said they would have to abide by the new order from Gonzalez.

Gonzalez told the House panel Wednesday that the resolution of the case should not have been released pending its automatic review by his office.

Also yesterday, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption filed a complaint seeking to disbar lawyer Felisberto Verano, counsel for Brodett and Tecson. With Rey E. Requejo