Court: Village chair, elected while detained, not guilty of murder, freed
Local News • 09:15 AM Fri Dec 22, 2023
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
Chairman Akmad Urak (left) takes his oath before Mayor Bruce Matabalao in July after he was named acting village chair of Barangay Tamontaka 1.
COTABATO CITY – A village chairman who won in the recent Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan while in jail has been released Thursday after the murder charges against him were dismissed for lack of evidence.
“I saw it coming since from the very start I am innocent of the charges,” said Akmad Urak, elected chairperson of Barangay Tamontaka 1, Cotabato City as he and seven others stepped out of the city jail.
Urak believed the charges against him were politically motivated.
Despite being in jail, Urak pushed his candidacy and he ended up victorious against his two rivals.
Lawyer Asgar Mandal, counsel of Chairman Urak, told reporters that the charges of two counts of murder, three counts of frustrated murder, and two counts of attempted murder were all dismissed due to lack of sufficient evidence.
“He (Urak) will assume office anytime,” Mandal said.
Urak was in tears as he stepped out of the detention facility that served as his temporary home since August this year. “I am innocent of all the charges and the court has proven it,” he added.
Even before the warrant for his arrest from Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 27, Cotabato City came out in August, Urak and his seven other co-accused, voluntarily surrendered to Cotabato City Mayor Bruce Matabalao.
After the Oct 30 village polls, elected No. 1 councilman Rex Adam assumed as Barangay Tamontaka 1 acting chairperson while Urak was still in jail.
“I will step down immediately once Chairman Urak assumes office,” he said.