The lawyer of four former lawmakers on Tuesday threatened to file a disbarment petition against high-profile lawyer Ferdinand Topacio for raising and offering a P1-million bounty for their arrest.
Rachel Pastores, lawyer of Satur Ocampo, Teddy Casiño, National Anti-Poverty Commission lead convenor Liza Maza and Rafael Mariano, former Department of Agrarian Reform chief, said she is mulling to file a civil case against Topacio for the damage done to them.
She also questioned the intention of Topacio for stepping into the issue despite his non-involvement in the multiple murder charges filed against the four.
“As a lawyer, he should be responsible in what he is saying. The P1-million bounty he raised had endangered the lives of our clients," she said.
She said Topacio violated the code of professional conduct for lawyers.
“So get ready [for the charges we will file,” she added.
Last Monday, the Nueva Ecija’s Palayan City Regional Trial Court granted the motion for reconsideration of the arrest warrants issued against Ocampo, Casiño, Maza, and Mariano, and dismissed the murder charges.
Acting Presiding Judge Trese Wenceslao took over the case after Branch 40 Judge Evelyn Turla inhibited herself due to alleged “pressure.”
Turla had issued warrants to capture the former members of the House of Representatives.
“He [Topacio] was telling he would have the judge investigated. It should be the other way around. We want him investigated,” Pastores said.
“Where is he coming from? He is not even the lawyer of the private complainants or the lawyer of the witnesses. He does not have any involvement in the charges. He is not a counsel of record. So why meddle?” she said.
Topacio, along with Diego Magpantay of the Citizen Crime Watch had offered the P1-million bounty for the arrest of Ocampo and company, who were charged with a multiple murder case for the deaths of Carlito Bayudang, Jimmy Peralta, and Danilo Felipe in 2006.
Meanwhile, Malacañang welcomed the junking of murder charges against Maza, as it wants the official to return to work.
“That proves that the legal system is working. We are happy that Sec. Liza Maza can come back to work. Now that she has no outstanding warrant of arrest, I suppose she can go back to work,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a press briefing.
The leftist leaders, also known as Batasan 4, had claimed that the case was filed to discourage dissent during the time of then-president and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The four added that separate rebellion and disqualification cases based on the witnesses’ statements were earlier dismissed.