ANGELES CITY – A former professor who was deported recently from Saudi Arabia to face 32 counts of rape charges involving his underaged student in a local university has been turned over by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to the city jail here, amid cases whose nature deprives him of bail.
This, even as lawyer Jeffrey-John Zarate, counsel for the victim’s family, has expressed concern over developments on the case against suspect Arnel Atienza-Ocampo, 51, after presiding Judge Angelica Paras-Quiambao of the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 59 went on leave.
In November 2009, Quiambao issued five arrest warrants, including two which barred any bail, against Ocampo who was charged with 32 counts of rape that allegedly happened in 2007 and 2008. At the time the warrants were issued, Ocampo had already fled to Saudi Arabia.
Quiambao’s leave was supposed to automatically pass on to her “pairing judge” Gerardo Santos of RTC Branch 62, the arraignment and pre-trial conference in Ocampo’s case. Santos is also the vice executive judge of the Angeles RTC.
But past developments that allegedly cast doubt on the impartiality of Santos prompted lawyer Jeffrey-John Zarate, counsel of the victim, to file before Quiambao an “urgent motion” to disqualify Santos of RTC Branch 56.
In his petition, Zarate cited an incident in August, 2006 when the parents of the victim were worried by the failure of their daughter to arrive home late into the night. Later, Ocampo and his boss whom the petition named as HAU dean Averell Laquindanum later arrived with their daughter and other students. The father said he intended to bring the case before HAU officials.
“The following morning, the honorable pairing judge (Santos) himself called (the father) to intercede for and in behalf of the accused Ocampo and his honor’s brother-in-law, Laquindanum,” the petition said.
It also said that later, the father got information that “Laquindanum himself and even the accused had consulted (Santos) during the purported administrative hearings relative to the case.”
“This incident has created in the mind of private complainant the perception of possible bias and conflict of interest on the part of the honorable pairing judge,” the petition added.
With his petition against the involvement of Santos already filed, Zarate noted that on the day of the arraignment last April 26, he again got an unexpected notification from the clerk of court of Branch 59 saying that Quiambao’s pairing judge was not Santos afterall, but Judge Philbert Yturralde of Branch 58 as Quiambao’s pairing judge.
“It was a development that has raised some concern in us,” said the parents, without elucidating.
Thus, Yturralde, instead of Santos as initially scheduled, was the one who arraigned Ocampo last April 26. Ocampo pleaded not guilty to all the charges and also asked that his pre-trial to be postponed to June 7, apparently to enable the suspect to negotiate for amicable settlement with the parents. The postponement was granted by the judge.
In a text message, however, the victim’s father said he would not go for any settlement. , “No amount of money can ever pay the sufferings we have been going through because of the crime he committed against my family. We will do everything to keep him in jail for the rest of his life. We want justice not only for us but also for the other victims, as well,” he said.
The Gabriela party list earlier backed an administrative complaint the father filed with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) against HAU for the university’s alleged negligence and failure to check the background of Ocampo before hiring him.
Ocampo already allegedly had a record of sexual harassment in another school in Magalang town.
Ocampo left the country on May 28, 2009 for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but he was later placed in the ‘red notice’ of the Interpol in February, 2010, making him a wanted person worldwide.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) cancelled his passport in April, 2010 on the request of then Justice Sec. Agnes Devanadera. On Dec. 6, 2010, Ocampo was arrested by Saudi authorities upon the request of Justice Sec. Leila De Lima. He was recently deported and held by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Manila before being transferred to the city jail here.
This, even as lawyer Jeffrey-John Zarate, counsel for the victim’s family, has expressed concern over developments on the case against suspect Arnel Atienza-Ocampo, 51, after presiding Judge Angelica Paras-Quiambao of the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 59 went on leave.
In November 2009, Quiambao issued five arrest warrants, including two which barred any bail, against Ocampo who was charged with 32 counts of rape that allegedly happened in 2007 and 2008. At the time the warrants were issued, Ocampo had already fled to Saudi Arabia.
Quiambao’s leave was supposed to automatically pass on to her “pairing judge” Gerardo Santos of RTC Branch 62, the arraignment and pre-trial conference in Ocampo’s case. Santos is also the vice executive judge of the Angeles RTC.
But past developments that allegedly cast doubt on the impartiality of Santos prompted lawyer Jeffrey-John Zarate, counsel of the victim, to file before Quiambao an “urgent motion” to disqualify Santos of RTC Branch 56.
In his petition, Zarate cited an incident in August, 2006 when the parents of the victim were worried by the failure of their daughter to arrive home late into the night. Later, Ocampo and his boss whom the petition named as HAU dean Averell Laquindanum later arrived with their daughter and other students. The father said he intended to bring the case before HAU officials.
“The following morning, the honorable pairing judge (Santos) himself called (the father) to intercede for and in behalf of the accused Ocampo and his honor’s brother-in-law, Laquindanum,” the petition said.
It also said that later, the father got information that “Laquindanum himself and even the accused had consulted (Santos) during the purported administrative hearings relative to the case.”
“This incident has created in the mind of private complainant the perception of possible bias and conflict of interest on the part of the honorable pairing judge,” the petition added.
With his petition against the involvement of Santos already filed, Zarate noted that on the day of the arraignment last April 26, he again got an unexpected notification from the clerk of court of Branch 59 saying that Quiambao’s pairing judge was not Santos afterall, but Judge Philbert Yturralde of Branch 58 as Quiambao’s pairing judge.
“It was a development that has raised some concern in us,” said the parents, without elucidating.
Thus, Yturralde, instead of Santos as initially scheduled, was the one who arraigned Ocampo last April 26. Ocampo pleaded not guilty to all the charges and also asked that his pre-trial to be postponed to June 7, apparently to enable the suspect to negotiate for amicable settlement with the parents. The postponement was granted by the judge.
In a text message, however, the victim’s father said he would not go for any settlement. , “No amount of money can ever pay the sufferings we have been going through because of the crime he committed against my family. We will do everything to keep him in jail for the rest of his life. We want justice not only for us but also for the other victims, as well,” he said.
The Gabriela party list earlier backed an administrative complaint the father filed with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) against HAU for the university’s alleged negligence and failure to check the background of Ocampo before hiring him.
Ocampo already allegedly had a record of sexual harassment in another school in Magalang town.
Ocampo left the country on May 28, 2009 for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but he was later placed in the ‘red notice’ of the Interpol in February, 2010, making him a wanted person worldwide.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) cancelled his passport in April, 2010 on the request of then Justice Sec. Agnes Devanadera. On Dec. 6, 2010, Ocampo was arrested by Saudi authorities upon the request of Justice Sec. Leila De Lima. He was recently deported and held by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Manila before being transferred to the city jail here.
