Galua lawyer: Trial bail delayed

The leadership change at the Department of Justice (DOJ) may have contributed to the delay of the petitions filed by Architect Rey Galua, who is in prison since February for illegal possession of firearms and explosives charges.

Lawyer Art Ubaub, Galua’s legal counsel lamented the delay of the resolution to his client’s case.

“The very fact that we filed the bail petition means that our client doesn’t want to languish in jail anymore,” he said.

In February, Ubaub said he filed the motion to resolve the case at the DOJ, noting its urgency.

“Naguba man gud ang DOJ kay pirmiro si Aguirre man, naa napud lain ningpuli, unya gipantangtang man niya ang mga tawo ni

Aguirre, so lain nasad ang setup (The DOJ made changes, and so the case was passed from Aguirre to another and so the set up was changed again),” Ubaub said.

“Ang balaod ana kung mo file ka ug petition, 60 days ray gihatag sa korte, ang 60 days nawala atong March 9, kay february 9 man ko nagfile (The law states that if you file for a petition, the court gives 60 days, the 60 days lapsed last March 9 since I filed on February 9),” he added.

He said, in a hearing at the Regional Trial Court Branch 24 last July 20, they were not called and a subsequent hearing was set last July 25 but was postponed as Judge Henry Damasing filed a leave of absence.

“We hope authorities can hear us, so that these fabricated charges will be dismissed and our client will be free the soonest possible,” he said.

Aside from the motion to resolve case, Galua’s camp also already filed petition for bail at the RTC Branch 24. PJ Orias