NUPL on Juanito Remulla acquittal: Swift justice should be for all

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) on Saturday called the acquittal of Juanito Remulla III, son of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, “short and quick,” saying that the same treatment should be accorded to everyone else.

In a statement, NUPL pointed out how it only took 79 days for the Las Piñas Regional Trial Court (RTC) to arraign, conduct pre-trial, receive evidence, and draft and promulgate its judgment on the younger Remulla.

“The mistrust arises from the fact that thousands of accused who do not bear the Remulla name have been rotting in detention for years, while many others had been summarily killed for alleged drug offenses and were never given their day in court,” the lawyers’ group said.

“For the nameless and disadvantaged, the right to speedy trial and disposition of cases is an illusion, such that if it becomes a reality for a few lucky ones—often the rich and the powerful—they find it hard to believe and can only sigh ‘sana all’ in the vain hope that the wheel of the justice will grind as fast for them as it did for Remulla,” it added.

On October 11, Juanito III was nabbed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group in a controlled delivery operation at Talos Dos, Las Piñas City.

Seized from the operation was a parcel containing P1.3 million worth of suspected kush or high-grade marijuana.

However, the Las Piñas City RTC Branch 197 on Friday acquitted the Justice secretary’s eldest son, saying that there was no clear evidence he had “freely, consciously, and with full knowledge possessed the alleged seized illegal drugs.”

Indicating the quick pace of the Las Piñas court in resolving the case, NUPL said that swift, expedient, and orderly administration of justice should also be given to all.

Secretary Remulla had said he “did not interfere, in any way, with the process” in the acquittal of his son in the possession of illegal drugs case against him.

He also wished Juanito "further redemption in the future."

In a message to GMA News Online on Sunday, Remulla reiterated that he did not have any hand with the handling of the case.

He also said there was no person who filed any motions or postponements regarding it, thus the pacing of its resolution.

“I did not interfere with the case. I was told that no one filed any dilatory motions or any postponements,” he said. —KG, GMA Integrated News