By Mar Gabriel
Eagle News Service
(Eagle News) – Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa has expressed frustration that another case filed by the police before the Department of Justice had been dismissed.
In a resolution dated March 5, the DOJ dismissed a case of illegal possession of firearms filed against an Egyptian national, Fehmi Lassqued, a suspected terrorist alleged to have connections with the ISIS who was arrested in February.
While the police claimed Lassqued was arrested in an apartment in Malate, Manila, the lawyers representing the suspect said that a CCTV footage proved that the arrest was made in Makati.
This was revealed during Monday’s hearing on the motion for reconsideration filed by the police on the DOJ’s earlier resolution junking the case.
“Sana na-correct namin yun, kung yun lang. Ang galing ng abugado nila ano? Nakakuha ka ng ganun. We cannot fault the prosecution dahil sila naman ay may binabasehan sa kanilang resolution, sa pag-resolve ng kaso. Humahanga ako sa abugado nung terrorista na yun at talagang nakuha nya yung boundary ng Manila at Makati na gamitin in their defense,” PNP chief Dela Rosa said.
Both the police and the military intelligence reports claimed that Lassqued was a member of the international terrorist group ISIS.
Dela Rosa said the police may have committed errors as to the place where the suspect was arrested, but that this happens when the case’s investigator is in a hurry to file the case.
He said that this could still be corrected, and that this should not lead to the whole case being dismissed.
“I am frustrated but I am not finding fault, I am not accusing anyone of anything. Ako lang frustrated lang, dahil yun nga napakalaking international terrorist,” he said.
The PNP, particularly the PNP-National Capital Region, will be studying if the police can still pursue the case against Lassqued.
The PNP also said that they would be open to a possible ruling on the suspect’s deportation.
(Eagle News Service)
