THE Regional Trial Court Branch 14 in Cebu City has found guilty the four individuals accused of performing abortion who were arrested by operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 in April 2021.
Cebu City RTC Branch 14 presiding judge Merlo Bagano, in his decision dated May 31, found Joey Guirigay, Francisca Rebamonte, Gloria Gabutin and Meryteissie Rural guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of Attempted Intentional Abortion defined and penalized under Art. 256 (3) of the Revised Penal Code.
Lawyer Rennan Augustus Oliva, NBI 7 director, on Wednesday, June 2, said the four accused entered a plea of guilty as charged during the arraignment and pre-trial held on May 31.
Bagano meted out a penalty of imprisonment for four months of arresto mayor and all its accessory penalties against the four.
Oliva said under the Philippine laws, the sentence handed down to Guirigay, Rebamonte, Gabutin and Rural covers for probation.
Thus, pending their application for probation, they were granted temporary liberty with bail set at P6,000 each.
“They were admonished by the judge, saying any repetition of this offense, it will be dealt with by the court more than this—severely,” he said.
“If they commit any other crime (granting their request for probation at this time is granted), that probation will be canceled and they will serve the time the court has sentenced them for this crime in addition to the penalty of the crime they will commit,” he added.
The four convicted along with the other accused, Amparo Lumagbas Gemarangan, 82, were nabbed in separate operations by the NBI 7 on April
29.
The NBI 7 first caught Gemarangan and Rebamonte in Talisay City. Then arrested Gabutin and Rural in Labangon, Cebu City and Guirigay along V. Rama Ave. in Cebu City.
Persons who seek and conduct abortion are both criminally liable in the Philippines.
However, Gemarangan was released after Talisay City Prosecutor Marshall Rubia found the evidence lacking to merit probable cause.
The NBI 7 said a preliminary investigation will be conducted by the prosecutor’s office wherein Gemarangan will be summoned to answer the allegations against her. (WBS)