By Rey E. Requejo

THE Court of Appeals has extended for another 30 days the freeze order against the bank accounts of State Prosecutor John Resado who is accused of receiving bribe in exchange for the dismissal of the drug case against the ?Alabang Boys.?

The CA?s Third Division through Associate Justice Myrna Dimaranan-Vidal extended the freeze order until April 17, upon the request of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, which is investigating the accounts where the alleged bribe money had been deposited.

Last Thursday, the three-member panel tasked to investigate the bribery scandal at the Justice Department had submitted its report to Malaca?ang.

Covered by the freeze order are the joint account of the Resado couple at the Banco de Oro-SM Bacoor branch in Cavite, Resado?s account with PSBank-Padre Faura branch, and ?all related web of accounts wherever they may be.?

Associate Justices Martin Villarama Jr. and Rosalinda Asuncion Vicente concurred with the extension of the freeze order.

AMLC?s investigation on the bank accounts of Resado came after it was reported that P800,000 was deposited in Resado?s Banco de Oro account on the same day he signed the resolution dropping the charges against the Alabang Boys.

Resado even testified before Congress that the cash came from his family?s unregistered money-lending operations, but AMLC said there was probable cause that it came from illegal activities.

The alleged bribery came to AMLC?s attention after an anonymous letter informed the National Bureau of Investigation that P800,000 was deposited in Resado?s bank account and another P800,000 in his wife?s account.

This prompted Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to refer the letter to the AMLC for investigation of possible violation of the provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering Act ?considering that Resado [was] involved in the Alabang Boys? illegal drug case.?

In its petition for the freezing of Resado?s bank accounts, AMLC noted that the prosecutor?s gross annual salary stands at more than P309,000 only based on his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

The petition quoted Resado as stating in the SALN that he had ?no business interests and financial connections to declare.?