Tomawis slay suspect to be arraigned today

A MAN accused in the killing of Barira Vice Mayor Alexander Tomawis is set to be arraigned on Friday.

Ustadz Ali Limbona Edris will answer the murder charges filed against him.

His counsel, lawyer Heraclio Malaki III, also filed a motion for reinvestigation on July 17, asking the court for the City Prosecutor’s Office (CPO) "to revisit the charges against (Edris) through a reinvestigation."

In his motion, Malaki said Edris was arrested without warrant, adding the latter was forced to sign an extrajudicial confession without the benefit and presence of a counsel of his own choice.

"On the guise that he would simply be a witness for the subject murder of Vice Mayor Alexander Tomawis, he went with the CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) personnel. He was just surprised when he was locked up and detained in the CIDG facility," he said.

Malaki said he is seeking that Edris be given a chance to controvert the allegations against him through a voluntarily executed counter-affidavit.

In their resolution dated May 30, 2011, prosecutor Ria Niña Sususco and assistant state prosecutor Grace Ruiz found probable cause to charge Ustadz Alit Limbona and Datu Ting Diocolano for the murder of Tomawis, based on the complaints of Raga Tomawis-Beda and Mayor Bai Fatima Ruth Tomawis, sister and wife of the victim, respectively.

The two accused allegedly shot to death Tomawis inside his house at Hill Drive Street in Buhangin on November 18, 2010.

Court records showed that the gunmen went to the house of Tomawis pretending to get the victim's signature for some important documents.

While the victim was approaching them, one of the suspects shot Tomawis in the head. Arianne Caryl N. Casas)