By RUTH LUMIBAO
Bulatlat
MANILA — The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 216 acquitted Maj. Harry Baliaga Jr., suspect in the enforced disappearance of Jonas Burgos.
In his decision promulgated today, Judge Alfonso C. Ruiz II said the evidence was hearsay. “The prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the identify of Harry Baliaga Jr. as the person who abducted and arbitrarily detained Jonas Burgos,” the decision read.
Ruiz further argued there was “no sufficient circumstantial evidence to prove the guilt of the accused.”
The decision came more than 10 years since the abduction of Jonas, son of the late press freedom icon Joe Burgos Jr.
Edita Burgos said, “We do not agree but we respect the decision of the Regional Trial Court. We will still find Jonas.”
