The 56-year old Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) who was arrested on Sunday because of a bullet that was allegedly found in her hand carry bag at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was given a temporary liberty on Tuesday afternoon, October 27, after two nights of staying in jail.
Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office issued a resolution ordering the PNP Aviation Security Group to free Mrs. Gloria Dumaoal Ortinez without paying the bail while the investigation is going on.
Mrs. Ortinez is an OFW who has been working as a helper in Hong Kong for almost 30 years. On Sunday night, she was not allowed to board her flight, was handcuffed and immediately sent to jail when a carbine rifle bullet in her bag appeared in the x-ray machine.
After her release, Mrs. Ortinez immediately thanked the people who helped her.
“Kung sino man ang lahat ng nakatulong sakin, nagpapasalamat po ako sa inyong lahat, lahat lahat.”
PNP Aviation Security Group remains cold hearted
Meanwhile, S/Supt. Ricardo Layag remained firm in his decision to press charges against the OFW. Layag insisted he was just invoking the equal protection of the law.
“Hindi naman po natin tinitingnan kung OFW ka, kung ikaw ay matanda o ikaw ay bata, kung anu yung ebidensya na ibinigay sa atin yun lang po ang ipa-file natin. Hindi tayo magdadagdag hindi tayo magbabawas.”
Photographed ammunition different from actual
In the resolution, the fiscal took notice of the difference between the attached photograph of one ammunition for carbine rifle and the actual ammunition presented during the inquest proceedings. The fiscal said it casts reasonable doubt as to the identity of the subject ammunition.
“Based on the evidence presented, the undesigned noticed that the attached photograph one (1) ammunition for carbine rifle and the actual ammunition presented during the inquest proceedings allegedly seized from the respondent is distinctly different from one another, thereby casting reasonable doubt as to the identity of the subject ammunition.”
Lawyer slams treatment to the 56-year old OFW
Atty. Spocky Farolan questioned the treatment that was accorded to Mrs Ortinez noting that she is already 56 years old and whose job for many years was to do household chores. He narrated how the old lady was handcuffed and put to jail by the police right after the incident.
Meanwhile, Mrs Ortinez also revealed that she was asked to confess the crime but she refused to. Instead, she called on the real perpetrators and asked to heed their conscience noting that her whole family was hurt and traumatized by the incident.
“Kung sino man sa inyong lahat ang nagtanim ng bala sa aking bag sana po makonsensya kayo sa inyong ginawa sa akin. May pamilya ako, may apo din ako ang pamilya ko hindi lang ako ang nag-iisang nasaktan.”
Mrs. Ortinez is now coordinating with her employers in Hong Kong to explain why she was not able to fly back on Sunday. However, she will not be able to fly to HK as she needs to attend the hearings on her case.
Source: Youtube – ABS CBN News