MANILA - A Nueva Ecija court has junked a 14-year-old double murder case against an anti-poverty official and 3 former representatives of party-list group Bayan Muna.

Former congressmen Satur Ocampo, Teddy Casiño, Rafael Mariano, as well as National Anti-Poverty Commission convenor Liza Maza, were accused in 2006 of killing political rivals.

The Cabanatuan City Regional Trial Court Branch 28, citing insufficient evidence, favored the motion of reconsideration of the leftist leaders seeking to dismiss the case and the arrest warrant against them.

The camp of the leftist leaders, also known as Batasan 4, earlier claimed that the case was filed to discourage dissent during the time of then-President and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Separate rebellion and disqualification cases based on the witnesses' statements were earlier dismissed, they noted.

More details to follow.

Report from Dexter Ganibe, ABS-CBN News