Still no justice for V-Day blast victims

Monday, February 13, 2012

JUSTICE will remain elusive to victims of the Valentine's Day bombing at Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (Dcott) seven years ago as the case has already been archived.

The incident, which happened on February 14, 2005, killed a 12-year-old boy and injured six others.

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Records from the Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 33 showed that the murder with multiple frustrated murder case filed against the suspects, identified as Abdulrahman Camil, Abdulbasi Hapilon and Abdulmanap Mentang, was archived on April 3, 2006 after the three suspects failed to appear before the court.

According to Administrative Circular 7-A-92, "a criminal case may be archived only if, after the issuance of the warrant of arrest, the accused remains at large for six months from the delivery of the warrant to the proper peace officer."

It can be recalled that a bomb exploded at the Dcott beside a food stall near Gate No. 1 around 6:30 p.m. on Valentine's Day in 2005, killing Rolly Lacsinto, 12.

William Otso, Ruben Ali, Arnold delos Santos, Marilyn Barada, her son Jerry Mar and one Joey Mulawin were injured in the incident.

Court records showed that the suspects were identified by the witnesses as stated in their affidavits.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed the conviction and sentence of three members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf who were responsible for the bombing of a passenger bus in Makati City on Valentine's Day in 2005.

In a 19-page decision penned by Associate Justice Ma. Lourdes P.A. Sereno, the SC junked the appeal of Gamal B. Baharan (alias Tapay), Angelo Trinidad (alias Abu Ahalil), and Rohmat Abdurrohim (alias Abu Jackie or Zaky) against their conviction for complex crime of multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder.

The decision was promulgated last January 10 but was released only Wednesday, a day after another passenger bus was bombed while traveling along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue, killing five passengers and injuring 14 others.

Baharan, Trinidad, and Abdurrohim were sentenced to suffer the penalty of death by lethal injection by the Makati City Regional Trial Court in October, 2005. (Arianne Caryl N. Casas)