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Friday, June 24, 2005
Torralba blows cover as military confidential agent
BROADCASTER Cirse “Choy” Torralba was also a confidential agent of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Military Intelligence Group, something that he revealed during his cross-examination yesterday in the frustrated murder case against 22-year-old John Lloyd Ortiz.
Torralba also admitted that many hold a grudge against him. He told the court his primary suspects for the shooting were four businessmen who were subject of his commentaries.
He explained he did not have anything against Ortiz because he did not know him yet during the incident.
But he said he was sure that Ortiz was his assailant, saying he clearly saw Ortiz’s face during the incident.
With him being a confidential agent, Presiding Judge Eric Menchavez asked Torralba if he underwent gun-handling training. He answered yes.
Different bullet
Through the judge’s interrogation, Torralba admitted that he can easily hit a target two to five feet away.
But he clarified he was not able to hit the gunman during the shooting because he was using a special kind of ammunition, which he said “expands when it hits a hard object.”
His purpose for firing back at the assailant, he added, was not necessarily to hit him but mainly to make him stop shooting.
Moreover, he admitted he faced 14 libel cases, which he was acquitted of except for one filed by a businessman before the Regional Trial Court in 1996.
The Supreme Court, though, modified the case and only sanctioned the broadcaster to pay the complainant P2,000.00.
right
Private prosecutor Adelino Sitoy initially objected to the line of questioning of defense counsel Rolando Quimbo, but Menchavez ruled in favor of the accused, saying, “it is the right of the accused to impeach the witness.”
Torralba also told the court that his primary suspects for the shooting were four businessmen, two of whom are brothers suspected to be druglords, and a father and son.
The four were subjects of his hard-hitting commentaries. He said he first expected them to have masterminded the attempt on his life.
“I hated them (referring to the businessmen) more because I know we are enemies. I felt like I offended them and I was also offended by them especially after the cases they filed against me,” Torralba said during his redirect examination.
But he also could not believe that hired killers were behind the attempt on his life because professional assassins would have ensured his death. JGA
(June 24, 2005 issue)
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