BULUAN Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, his police escorts, and two children were presented in Wednesday’s clarification hearing with the investigating panel.
Mangudadatu, with his counsel Raul Tolentino, assisted his two children, who allegedly saw the shooting incident inside JS Gaisano Mall in Davao City, at the Gender and Child Sensitive Interview/Investigation Room of the Regional State Prosecution Office.
The questions raised during the hearing were based on their affidavits, said the panel of prosecutors that is composed of its chairman, Prosecutor Jofre Saniel, with Maria Gemma Dabbay-Tambis and Marte Melchor Velasco.
The panel also went to Gaisano South Citimall Wednesday morning for an ocular inspection of the place where the incident happened.
Representatives from ABS-CBN and GMA local stations, who were earlier subpoenaed to appear, were also present.
Another clarificatory hearing is yet to be scheduled for the victim's wife.
Mangudadatu and his security details, Police Officers 1 Surab Lintukan Bantas and Ibrahim Langalen were earlier charged with murder for the death of Tamano Kamendan, the alleged close-in security aide of Andal Ampatuan Sr.
The charges were based on the accounts of Natividad Kamendan, the victim's wife, who claimed it was not a shootout.
Natividad said Mangudadatu ordered his men to kill her husband just after talking to him at the fourth floor of the mall.
In their counter-affidavits, the three respondents denied Natividad’s allegation. (RMH)