SC allows Baby Arenas’ ex-assistant to post bail

ABS-CBNnews.com

Posted at 02/05/2012 8:13 PM | Updated as of 02/05/2012 8:13 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court has allowed the former assistant of socialite Rosemarie “Baby” Arenas and her other co-accused to post bail in connection with a multi-million peso estafa case.

In a two-page resolution released last February 1, the High Court gave the Makati City Regional Trial Court to comply within five days a directive of the Court of Appeals last year allowing the posting of bail.

The case stemmed from the complaint filed by Arenas’ son, Christopher, against Maria Elena So Guisande and others, including her sister Joanne So Villena.

The younger Arenas was joined in the complaint by spouses Michael and Barbara Tolentino, Agnes Huibonhoa and Doris Deborrah Palispis.

They claimed Guisande, Arenas’ former assistant, acted as a sales agent in their jewelry trade. Instead, she allegedly pawned the pieces of jewelry. Post-dated checks issued also supposedly bounced.

Guisande claimed she was also a victim. She later managed to hold off a jail confinement because she was supposedly suffering from a “mood disorder.”

Villena, meanwhile, was detained at the National Bureau of Investigation.

The appellate court later ruled that there was probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest but the accused should be allowed to post bail since the crime is not punishable by death, reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment.

The SC subsequently upheld the CA ruling on August 17, 2011.

The trial court, which has jurisdiction over the criminal case, failed to heed the CA's directives.

The sisters’ father, David, was forced to file a petition for a writ of amparo before the SC. He asked that Villena be released on recognizance while the case is being deliberated.

The High Court denied the issuance of a writ of amparo, noting that CA has already decided on the matter.

It insisted, however, that “the enforcement of the CA's final decision remains.”

"Wherefore, the Court resolves to deny the petition for issuance of a writ of amparo and order the Regional Trial Court of Makati City...to comply within five days from receipt of this resolution, with the directive in the Court of Appeals division dated February 16, 2011 by fixing the proper amount of bail and issuing a new warrant of arrest for the accused," the SC said.