TAYUG—After over a year in limbo, the criminal cases filed against the accused in the killing of Pasay City Judge Estrellita Paas in September 2005 have been re-filed with the Regional Trial Court.

The cases for murder and theft are now in the hands of RTC Judge Emma Parajas of Branch 52 in Tayug in whose sala the complaints have been assigned. The cases were dismissed by RTC Judge Ulysses Raciles Butuyan of Branch 51, also in Tayug, a year ago.

Accused in Criminal Case No. 4236 for murder and Criminal Case No. 4237 for theft are Jonald Vargas and Elmer Cabiles who were previously arrested by agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Balungao town and Lupao, Nueva Ecija, respectively.

Vargas has since gone hiding or missing following the dismissal of the cases against them. Cabiles, meanwhile is reportedly serving his sentence for a separate case in a previous crime.

The late Judge Paas was stabbed to death while alone in the family home in Natividad town.

Reacting to the re-filing of the cases against the same accused, Butuyan said, “The cases are now out of my hands. They might know better than me. They might find strong evidence against the perpetrators.”

He said if the complainants were not satisfied with his order dismissing the case, they might find “a more hospitable sala.”