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Thursday, December 23, 2004
‘File Arbet rap’
By Grecar Nilles
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez has directed the Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor to file the murder case today against Michel Favila Sr., in relation to the death of lawyer Arbet Sta. Ana-Yongco.
He also told the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 to hold Favila until the court issues a warrant for his arrest.
In an interview, Gonzalez said he has faxed the resolution of the case so that the prosecutor’s office can file the case anytime today with the Regional Trial Court.
Favila’s lawyer Giovan-ni Mata said that although they have legal remedies to stop the filing of the case with the court, such as filing a petition for appeal or a motion for reconsideration, they are not too keen on doing it.
“We are apprehensive that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will not reconsider its decision, considering it was Gonzalez himself who directed the local prosecutors to file the case now,” Mata said.
They lamented the information they got that Rep. Antonio Cuenco and other politicians reportedly called up the justice secretary about the case.
“There was just too much interference by politicians in this case,” Mata said.
Senior State Prosecutor Cielitolindo Luyun, who heads the DOJ three-man panel, also expressed dismay that a local paper (not Sun. Star) wrote about their unofficial resolution on Favila’s case that got published yesterday.
“If there is someone who will know about the updates of the case, I will be the first one to know. Their sources are unreliable and irresponsible,” Luyun said.
Luyun and State Prosecutors Roberto Escaro and Nolibien Quiambao were unanimous in their decision to charge Favila with murder for Yongco’s death.
Prosecution witnesses have tagged Favila as the one who shot Yongco in her home in Barangay Zapatera, Cebu City last Oct. 11.
Favila, who is an official of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA), had denied the charge. He said he was in Cagayancillo, Palawan at the time the lawyer was shot.
Yongco was the private prosecutor in the parricide case against PBMA supreme master Ruben Ecleo Jr., who is facing a parricide case for allegedly killing his wife Alona last Jan. 5, 2002.
Nestor Carrol, Master Sgt. Heracleo Rallestan and Eddie Ardita, who are all PBMA members, have been impleaded in the murder of Yongco.
The panel of prosecutors said they will schedule a separate preliminary investigation for the three other suspects.
Carrol and Rallestan were arrested along with six other men at a checkpoint in Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City last Dec. 3. They found several guns and ammunition.
Ardita, on the other hand, was arrested on the same day for allegedly driving a stolen motorcycle.
(December 23, 2004 issue)
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