Pandi mayor’s motion to quash granted

PANDI, Bulacan — The Regional Trial Court of Caloocan City has favored Pandi Mayor Rico Roque’s Motion to Quash Warrant of Arrest, freeing him from his detention at the Northern Police District (NPD) office on Monday.

According to Roque, “The show must go on. Dapat balik na ako sa munisipyo, mayor pa rin ako ng 180,000 na populasyon ng bayan ng Pandi.”

The mayor and two others were arrested during a Christmas Party at a resort in Pandi on 17 December as a tracker team served the arrest warrant against him, Councilor Jonjon Roxas and another man.

The three were accused of sexually abusing a woman in Caloocan on 6 April 2019.

In his Motion to Quash, Roque cited that they “did not receive a copy of the complaint against them nor any pleading related to the instant case.”

“Thus all accused were deprived the opportunity to be informed of the facts and circumstances of the charges filed against them in violation of their constitutional right to due process. This is a clear violation of procedural rules,” he stated in the motion.