“ASHLEY’S BF APPEAL FOR DUE PROCESS”

By Tonton Alcos Antogop

 

Aware of the verbal order of Pres. Duterte to arrest him in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Ashley Abad, Nel Spencer Tiu, appeals for due process.

“We appeal for process. The observance of the rule of law,” Atty. Orlando Salatandre, the lawyer of Tiu told NewsPH.org in a telephone interview.

Salatandre clarified that his client is not afraid to surface but everything has to be based on “due process.”

The order of Pres. Duterte to arrest Tiu came from the President himself when the family of Abad met him in Malacanang palace last Friday. As per reports though, Pres. Duterte wanted all the companions of Abad to be arrested and charge.

Salatandre said that he already told Cebu City Police Director Royina Garma that his client will surface in due time when he met the police official along with the family of Abad.

Asked about the whereabouts of his client, Salatandre said that Mr. Tiu is just in Cebu.

“My client is not hiding anywhere. He is just around, he is in Cebu. I told COP (chief of police) Garma about that.”

Salatandre explained that the Tiu family is not afraid to surrender Nel Spencer but maintained that it would just happened if there will be a lawful order.

The veteran trial lawyer said that once a case is filed, his client will surfaced to answer the charges.

He also said that warrantless arrest is not anymore applicable to his client because the incident occurred last January 19, which is already past its applicability.

According to Salatandre, the Tiu family was just apprehensive in surfacing because of all those who were around when the alleged ingestion of ecstacy happened, his client was singled out.

“Singled out kasi siya kaya careful lang ang client ko.”

Benny Abad, the uncle of Ashley and the spokesman of the Abad family told the press that Ashley’s companions allegedly forced her to take one whole pill of ecstacy instead of just half. The 19-year old coed was also told to drink alcohol.

Ashley collapsed in the middle of a pre-Sinulog dance party in the Cebu Business Park because of the alleged ingestion of the party drug.

She was brought to a private hospital where she expired. Her attending physician said that Ashley died because of “drug overdose.”

Crime lab experts autopsied her body to confirm the earlier findings of the doctor who attended to the teener.

The confirmation of drug overdose of a party drug could bolster the filing of criminal charges against those who were responsible.

The result is expected to be release within the week.

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