Car dealer’s shooting case re-raffled

THE case filed against controversial car dealer Lynard Allan Bigcas on alleged shooting incident with lawyer Miguel Palma Gil has been re-raffled off to another regular court.

Bigcas was charged with attempted murder by Palma Gil, regional director of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).

The case, was first raffled off December 27, 2012 and landed with the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 11. Judge Virginia Europa of the RTC Branch 11, however, inhibited herself.

Europa, in a court order dated January 2, 2013, said she voluntarily inhibits herself from hearing the case considering that a reading of the affidavits showed that the involved persons are closely known to her.

"Particularly, the major players (persons involved) in this case are members of the Bench and Bar Toastmasters Club, which I helped them organized, and I was official principal sponsor in the wedding of lawyer Aimee Torrefranca," Europa said.

Torrefranca was with Palma Gil when the shooting occurred.

The accused and the victim had their brawl on Mabini Street corner Torres Street on February 18, 2012 allegedly due to a love triangle issue with lawyer Torrefranca.

The case was filed under regular filing. Procedures at the City Prosecutor's Office showed that cases under preliminary investigation are resolved within 90 days.

Reporters traced on June 5 the update about Bigcas' case filed in Davao City after it was learned in a radio report in Cagayan de Oro that Bigcas has been once again tagged in another shooting incident there.

Bigcas reportedly fired at a certain Michael Turner Allan, 51, an American national, resident of Apartment Door 09 corner Tiano-Gomez Street in Cagayan de Oro City. He missed his target.

It was learned that Allan and Bigcas had a spat over a traffic incident on Kauswagan Highway on June 4. The brawl between them allegedly started due to suspected smuggled vehicles from the United States. (ICT)