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Saturday, June 04, 2005
I saw him shoot, kill radioman: witness v. ex-cop
By Grecar Nilles
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
The first prosecution witness in the murder of mediaman Edgar Dama-lerio yesterday tagged former policeman Guiller-mo Wapille as the man who shot and killed the journalist three years ago.
The defense contradicted the witness’ claim that he and Wapille were neighbors—but were surprised when one of the defense lawyers was asked to testify for the prosecution instead.
Edgar Ongue, 33, identified Wapille as the man who approached on a motorcycle and shot Damalerio on May 13, 2002 on Pajares St., Pagadian City.
The crime scene was well-lit and he easily recognized the assailant because they were neighbors in Purok 6, Barangay Pao, San Pablo, Zamboanga del Sur, Ongue said.
Ongue also told the court about several threats on his life, as a result of testifying about the shooting of Damalerio.
He is the lone living eyewitness in the case.
The Supreme Court transferred the trial to Cebu City last March to protect Damalerio’s family and the remaining witnesses.
Killed
Schoolteacher Edgar Amoro and Jury Ladica, who were supposed to testify, were killed before the case started last month.
Ongue, for his part, survived a murder attempt last February, during the wake of witness Amoro.
He and Damalerio’s wife, Gemma, are now under the Department of Justice’s witness protection program.
Ongue also told the court that several men tried to kidnap his wife before he testified, but the perpetrators failed because his wife fainted.
Defense lawyer Flavio Cordero, 49, was stunned when Assistant City Prosecutor Fernando K. Gubalane asked the court that they wanted the defense counsel to testify for the prosecution.
Gubalane was forced to present Cordero as the prosecution’s hostile witness, after the defense focused their cross-examination on the witness’ residence.
Voter’s list
The defense earlier contended that Ongue was not a resident of Pao, San Pablo, Zamboanga del Sur. They presented a certification from community presidents and the barangay captain that the witness was not a resident there.
They also presented in court the official list of voters of the area, which did not include Ongue’s name.
Ongue, who earlier testified he and Wapille were neighbors, said it was possible for the defense to get such certifications because most of the purok presidents and the barangay captain are Wapille’s relatives.
Ongue stressed that he was a resident of Pao, San Pablo and that he even voted for Cordero when the lawyer ran for mayor in 1995, because he (Ongue) was his political leader in their community.
Ongue claimed that Wapille was one of Cordero’s bodyguards and that he (Ongue) was one of his poll leaders.
Cordero earlier objected to his presentation but Regional Trial Court Branch 19 Judge Ramon Codilla allowed him to take the stand as the prosecution’s hostile witness.
During his presentation, Cordero admitted that he ran for mayor in 1995 but lost.
He filed an election protest and eventually won the race.
He assumed as the town’s mayor in January 1998, barely six months before the next local elections.
But in his testimony, Cordero “categorically denied” that Ongue was his political leader during the 1995 elections.
Whole day
Ongue, in his testimony, said he was with Dama-lerio the whole day of May 13, 2002, when the mediaman was gunned down in Pagadian City.
Four days before Damalerio was shot, Ongue narrated that there were two men on board a motorcycle that waited for them outside the broadcaster’s home.
One of the motorcycle-riding men was armed with an Armalite rifle, Ongue said.
The following day, Wapille reportedly tried to pull his gun when Damalerio was about to go out of the station, but the policeman reportedly retreated upon seeing Ongue, Amoro and the station’s security guard.
On May 13, 2002, Wapille, who was wearing a dirty white scarf, shot the victim, Ongue testified.
After the attack, Wapille returned to the crime scene, along with the responding policemen.
Ongue also told the court that it took him a week before he agreed to execute an affidavit on the shooting, because he feared for his life.
(June 4, 2005 issue)
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