611 Phil. 777
In a Decision dated 28 August 2008, the Court granted the petition for review on
certiorari filed in this case. The dispositive portion of the Decision reads:
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the Petition for Review on Certiorari is hereby GRANTED. The Orders dated 30 January 2006 and 9 June 2006 of the RTC dismissing Criminal Cases No. 05-3054 to 05-3165 are REVERSED and SET ASIDE. Let the corresponding Warrants of Arrest issue against herein respondents TERESITA PUIG and ROMEO PORRAS. The RTC Judge of Branch 68, in Dumangas, Iloilo, is directed to proceed with the trial of Criminal Cases No. 05-3054 to 05-3165, inclusive, with reasonable dispatch. No pronouncement as to costs.[1]
However, on 2 September 2008, the Supreme Court
En Banc, instead of ordering the arrest of respondents Teresita Puig and Romeo Porras for purposes of proceeding with the trial of Criminal Cases No. 05-3054 to 05-3165, issued a Warrant of Arrest addressed to the Director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), commanding them to effectuate the immediate
arrest of herein respondent Teresita Puig only and
commit her to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.
In light of the 28 August 2008 Decision of this Court and considering that trial on the merits has yet to proceed, the Warrant of Arrest ordering the
arrest and
commitment of respondent Teresita Puig to the Correctional Institution is hereby
recalled.
ACCORDINGLY, a new
WARRANT of ARREST is hereby entered commanding the Director of the NBI and the PNP Chief to immediately
ARREST, for the purpose of further proceedings (trial on the merits) in Criminal Cases No. 05-3054 to No. 05-3165, both respondents TERESITA PUIG and ROMEO PORRAS whose known address is Poblacion, Pototan, Iloilo, or anywhere in the Republic of the Philippines.
FURTHER, the said officials are both
DIRECTED to
SUBMIT a report within ten (10) days from compliance herewith.
SO ORDERED.Ynares-Santiago, (Chairperson), Velasco, Jr., Leonardo-De Castro,* and
Peralta, JJ., concur.
* Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro was designated as special member per raffle dated 16 June 2008
vice Associate Justice Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura, who was the solicitor general handling this case.
[1] Rollo, p. 186.