A civilian security personnel, a blue guard, and a uniformed policeman were stationed at the main entry of the building early yesterday to bar media from covering Fernandez’s arraignment.
A grey bus of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology which transported Fernandez took another route to the back of the Hall of Justice building to shield Fernandez from media. The back entry was only for court personnel.
The security men said Regional Trial Court, Branch 58 Judge Meredith Malig, who is hearing the case of Fernandez, ordered them to bar the media from the Hall of Justice building.
Fernandez reportedly pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, although no one from the court branch could immediately confirm this. His arraignment had been postponed at least twice arising from controversies on a police report that failed to include a “grinder” among over five kilos of marijuana found in Fernandez’s possession last Oct. 23.
Fernandez is yet to be arraigned before the Municipal Trial Court here for another related charge of resistance and disobedience to lawful authorities after he tried to flee in his car after police allegedly found marijuana on his car seat.
The illegal drugs case was initially filed before RTC Branch 60 Judge Eda Era who later inhibited herself from the case, saying her husband belonged to the same Guardians Brotherhood that Fernandez also belonged to.
The case was re-raffled and landed in the sala of TRC Branch 58.
Fernandez has been under detention at the provincial jail in San Fernando.
