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Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Prosecution witness identifies 3 suspects in Yongco slay
A store helper yesterday identified three men as among those whom she saw near the house of slain lawyer Arbet Sta. Ana Yongco on the day she was murdered.
Jocelyn Gomez, a print shop helper, said she was on her way to buy bread early in the morning of Oct. 11 when she saw a foreign-looking man standing near an acacia tree on the corner of Sikatuna and Alcohol Sts.
But she realized that the man was actually mestizo. Gomez later identified him to be Nestor Carrol.
During her testimony yesterday, Gomez said she also saw MSgt. Heracleo Rallestan and Eddie Ardita on a motorcycle, but they later got off without turning off the engine.
Gomez said she noticed Carrol near the acacia tree because she thought he was an Indian national on his way to collect debt payments.
Gomez said Carrol was wearing denim jeans and a white jacket.
At this instance, private prosecutor Liza Corro then asked Gomez to draw a sketch to illustrate her location vis-à-vis that of the suspects.
Late start
After buying bread from a nearby bakery, Gomez went back to the print shop on Sikatuna St., but later went to a store to buy a cigarette and a medicine.
On her way back, she met a woman shouting, “Manay (Yongco) has been shot!”
Gomez then heard from bystanders that the killer was said to have worn a white jacket, which made her think about the man she saw earlier.
The trial did not start on time, as Ardita came in late. He then explained that the guard who held the key to his cell left, and came back to fetch him late.
Ardita is detained at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 7.
Also, Ardita’s counsel Francisco Amit was nowhere in court. When asked by Regional Trial Court Judge Bienvinido Saniel about Amit’s whereabouts, Ardita said he had no idea.
Amit’s tardiness and appearance without counsel was met with various manifestations from defense counsels Orlando Salatandre and Noel Archival.
Defense
Salatandre is the defense counsel of Michel Favila, the first suspect impleaded in the murder. Archival is the counsel of Rallestan and Carrol.
Saniel then asked Ardita if he was amenable to having the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) assist him, to which he said yes. Yesterday, though, Archival stood as his lawyer.
Before that, Saniel asked the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) if one of their lawyers can assist Ardita during the course of the hearing.
But former IBP-Cebu City president Democrito Barcenas declined, saying they have a resolution pledging to prosecute the case in honor of Yongco. (JGA)
(September 27, 2005 issue)
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