Despite the dismissal of two cases of illegal recruitment, veteran broadcast journalist Jay Sonza will have to stay in detention due to 11 counts of estafa and libel cases he is still facing.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 100 provisionally junked the syndicated and large-scale illegal recruitment case filed against Sonza due to the failure of the complainants to appear in the hearings.
Branch 215 also provisionally dismissed the illegal recruitment case against Sonza.
Assistant City Prosecutor Joseph Seares said the private complainants were not able to coordinate with him despite his serious efforts to reach out.
“Given the consent of the accused who is virtually present… and in view of the manifestation of the public prosecutor indicating lack of interest to prosecute this case, on the part of the private
complainants, the motion of the defense is hereby granted,” the order read.
A provisional dismissal of a case means that the case could still be revived within two years if there is new evidence or reason to reopen it.
Sonza was earlier arrested for illegal recruitment and estafa at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport by the National Bureau of Investigation, and was turned over to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
He was detained at the Quezon City Jail facility in Barangay Payatas.
Sonza is still detained due to 11 counts of estafa before Branch 100 and a libel case before Branch 77, which has set the arraignment and pre-trial hearing on Sonza’s libel case on Aug. 18. It recommended a P10,000 bail.