Tuesday, October 08, 2002
Cardenas slay witness hits back at militants
By Claudine C. Dumalag
RONILO CADIGAL, principal witness in the killing of former Canlaon City Mayor Jose Cardenas and six others, hit back at the militant groups who tagged him a liar.
Cadigal belied the so-called black propaganda disseminated by the Islandwide Sectoral Organizations and Groups Against Tyranny and Aggression (Isogataa) against him.
All the allegations stated in their leaflets are untrue, he said.
Isogataa called him "Nilo Cadigal, bearer of false witnessing against his neighbors."
The groups taunted him, saying that "all of a sudden (he) came out saying that his conscience bothered him so he came out as a witness in the Cardenas ambush-slay case."
They added that Cadigal was never appointed to positions he claimed to have occupied while he was a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army.
"How can Cadigal say his conscience bothered him as he does not even have a conscience. Brains, he has, which he is using for evil purposes so that he can get money to sustain his personal vices," the militants said.
But Cadigal retorted, "they're all liars. I have people who can testify, if needed, to disprove their claims."
Cadigal linked eight personalities who are involved in the ambush, namely, Julius Amador, Berling Canada, a certain Nonong Bautista, Bobby Jalandoni, and Javellana, Lea Alcallar Justiniani, Gil Gubaton and Oting Palles.
He said that the motive of the killing was to "eliminate" Cardenas in the election.
The alleged eight masterminds, he said, gave the triggermen several high-powered firearms and mobilization fund.
Cardenas was killed together with his sister, Jessica, who was a councilor then, and their five others supporters while on their way home from a campaign sortie on April 27, 2001. |
