Safety fears ‘not legal’ reason on evading arrest

A Constitutional expert stressed Tuesday that a defendant’s fear for their safety is not a valid legal reason to evade an arrest warrant, dismissing such claims as legally unsound.

Atty. Domingo Cayosa addressed recent public statements, including those from figures like former Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co, who have expressed reluctance to surrender over perceived threats to their lives.

“That is not a legal excuse to evade a warrant of arrest. So nothing will come of that reason,” Cayosa said.

He characterized such public pronouncements, often made in videos, as “just bluster” with “almost no probative value,” primarily because they are not made under oath.

Call to freeze ill-gotten assets

Shifting focus to the fight against large-scale corruption, Cayosa called for the urgent and wider use of a key legal tool: the preliminary attachment of assets.

He noted that under the rules of the Sandiganbayan, prosecutors can immediately seek a court order to freeze bank accounts and attach properties allegedly acquired through illicit means as soon as a corruption case is filed.

Cayosa argued that seizing assets early is essential to prevent the accused from using stolen wealth to “influence the press, the fiscal, the police, and all sorts of people,” which can undermine the entire legal process.