Court denies CGMA Motion for Reconsideration on Morong 43 case

A small victory for the Morong 43 and all victims of human rights abuses under the Arroyo presidency.

This was how Dr. Alex S. Montes, member of the Morong 43 and one of the named plaintiffs in the 15-million civil suit filed against Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, et. al accepted today’s decision of Presiding Judge Afable E. Cajigal of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 96.

Cited under Civil Case No. Q-11-69171, the judge found that the said Motion for Reconsideration filed by CGMA, et. al were “reiterations and mere rehash of the grounds relied upon in the defendant’s Motion to Dismiss.” The order explained that the Motion to Dismiss was “exhaustively passed upon” by the previous court Branch 226 of the QC RTC, then presided by Judge Ma. Luisa Padilla who proceeded to assume a post in the Court of Appeals.

Hence, Judge Cajigal in his decision, found no “cogent reason to depart from the previous ruling of Branch 226” and ordered that the “instant motion is hereby DENIED.”

“We are elated that the court found the basis of our arguments valid and that Mrs. Arroyo and her cohorts have an equal peg in terms of accountability for the human rights abuses we underwent in the hands of our captors,” Dr. Montes said.

He added that today’s decision only proves that no head of state or top military and police official can get away with what their minions on the ground do to innocent civilians. At the end of the day, command responsibility and state policies still govern the actions of the military and police institutions.

“We remain resolute to push on with this case until we claim justice for ourselves and all victims of human rights abuses,” added Dr. Montes.

The pre-trial was reset to January 31, 2013.

Reference:

Dr. Alex S. Montes
0927-9259413 | 929-8109

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