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Sunday, November 14, 2004
CAV objects to Yongco murder suspect’s ‘gossip’
A CLOSE friend of slain lawyer Arbet Sta. Ana-Yongco yesterday expressed her disgust over the defense camp’s attempt at sowing intrigue to “desecrate” the name the women’s rights advocate spent a lifetime building up.
“Does lawyer Orlando Salatandre Jr. have anything beyond intrigues with which to defend his client? I bet he got his information from gossip-mongering neighbors. This means the PBMA (Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA) has indeed been hanging out near Arbet’s home,” said Thelma Chiong.
Chiong’s clients at the Crusade Against Violence (CAV) were often provided free legal assistance by Yongco.
Salatandre represents Michel Favila Sr., who is facing a murder complaint over Yongco’s death. Favila is a senior PBMA member.
Salatandre is the head counsel for Ruben Ecleo Jr., the PBMA supreme master charged with killing his wife Alona Bacolod-Ecleo almost three years ago. Yongco was the private prosecutor hired by the Bacolod family for the parricide case against Ecleo.
Fine couple
Favila submitted his counter-affidavit to the murder charge last Friday and raised five points. Salatandre prepared it.
In the document, Favila said Arbet’s husband Filemon should be eyed with suspicion because he executed his affidavit only eight days after Arbet’s death. He also said that the Yongco couple had marital problems.
Favila also argued that the 10-year-old witness of Yongco’s lawyers lied under oath and could have been motivated by the P100,000 reward offered by City Hall.
The testimonies of the other witnesses, meanwhile, were also said to be full of “material contradictions and irreconcilable inconsistencies.”
Even the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), who had prepared the complaint against him, Favila said, identifies a suspect who is 5’7.” He said he only stands 5’2”.
Chiong said there is no truth to Favila’s assertions regarding the marital rift, adding that anybody who knew the Yongco couple will confirm this.
“The couple loved each other and they were blessed with children. They might have not been showy in front of people but that can best be attributed to their age gap and Arbet’s conservative Christian values,” Chiong said.
Unofficial
As to Favila’s five-point claim, Chiong said these were all worthless for having been based upon the “unsanctioned and incomplete” investigation by the NBI on a case that belonged to Task Force Yongco.
“In fact, if you remember, the head of the NBI was replaced because of this,” she said, referring to former NBI 7 chief Reynaldo Esmeralda.
Esmeralda was replaced following the controversy on the investigation of the Yongco murder, in which the NBI and the police went after different suspects.
“He (Favila) is using the name of the NBI to lend credence to his arguments but, because the NBI’s findings are incomplete and unofficial, his counter-affidavit should be treated as being based merely on alibi and denial. In truth, he is just using the NBI’s name so that his arguments appear factual,” Chiong said.
Favila is under the protective custody of the NBI 7 since he was not arrested but came forward to deny he was involved in the Yongco murder last Oct. 11.
A gunman shot Yongco in the cheek and neck in her office in Zapatera, Cebu City. (KNR)
(November 14, 2004 issue)
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