By Joyce Pangco Pañares

PRESIDENT Arroyo has ordered administrative charges filed against chief state prosecutor Jovencito Zuño and prosecutor Philip Kimpo for negligence, and prosecutor John Resado for receiving a bribe, following an investigation of their role in the Alabang Boys drug case.

Mrs. Arroyo, the country’s anti-drug czar, also ordered the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission to investigate Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor for reportedly using his position to influence the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to hasten the release of the three affluent suspects in the case: Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph and Joseph Tecson.

Overturning a Justice Department resolution that dismissed the case, the President ordered criminal charges filed against the three suspects, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said.

Zuño, Blancaflor, Resado, Kimpo and another prosecutor, Misael Ladaga, are still on leave on the President’s orders.

Zuño offered only one comment on the President’s orders.

“The resolution we adopted was also approved by [Justice] Secretary [Raul] Gonzalez. That’s all my reaction at this point,” he said.

Kimpo added: “What negligence?”

The prosecutor said he would answer the charges raised against him and would stand by the findings that there was not enough legal basis to prosecute Brodett, Joseph and Tecson.

Resado could not be reached for comment.

The President also told the PDEA to investigate its Special Enforcement Services head, Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino, “for taking unto himself the job of prosecutor” in releasing Patrick El Khoury, the driver of the vehicle where the drug sale was consummated.

The fact-finding committee on the case, composed of retired Supreme Court Justice Carolina Aquino, retired Sandiganbayan Justice Raoul Victorino, and San Beda Law School Dean Ranhillo Aquino submitted its report to Mrs. Arroyo on March 12 after hearing the testimony of 37 people for 10 consecutive days.

“It must be emphasized at the outset that the Aquino Committee is a fact-finding body. It is not a court of law,” he said.

“The Committee submitted its report directly to the President containing its findings of facts and conclusions, primarily to advise the President, and therefore it partakes the nature of privileged communication.”

After considering the report, Mrs. Arroyo ordered the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission to file administrative cases against Resado for allegedly accepting P1.6 million from the families of the drug suspects, while Zuño and Kimpo will be charged with negligence for “the cursory conduct of the review” of Resado’s resolution ordering the dismissal of the charges against the suspects.

Remonde said Mrs. Arroyo also wanted PDEA to conduct an administrative investigation within 30 days on all of its agents who allegedly roughed up Brodett during the sting operation in September 2008.

“The President also ordered PDEA to justify why its agents did not follow strictly the rule on the marking, inventory and photographing of the drugs seized,” Remonde said.

“The President also wants PDEA to complete its manual of operations in the conduct of drug arrest.”