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Thursday, April 06, 2006
Journalist’s daughter faces murder suspects in court
By Jujemay G. Awit
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
The daughter of Tacu-rong City media worker Marlene Garcia-Esperat identified two of the four suspects in the murder of Esperat.
Rynche Garcia-Arcones, 24, pointed to Randy Grecia and Gerry Cabayag as frequent customers in the family-owned store adjacent to their house when her mother was killed on March 24, 2005.
Other suspects are Estan-islao Bismanos and Rowie Barua, who is considered and may become a state witness.
Arcones said she first saw Grecia on March 13 when he bought cigarettes from the store.
Grecia became friendly with Arcones, joining in on her conversation with others at the store. He asked for her number, which she gave.
Grecia returned to the store several times on March 19 and at least four times on March 24 to hang out.
Arcones also saw Caba-yag on March 24. She saw him first at noon when he bought a cigarette and asked for a glass of water at the store. He came back at 5 p.m.
Cigarette
At around 7 p.m., Caba-yag returned. But while she was getting his cigarette, he made his way to the house.
Then Arcones heard a gunshot. She went inside and saw her mother slumped on a chair. Her mother had been dining with her two younger brothers.
Arcones is Esperat’s second child who testified in court. Esperat’s 14-year-old son testified last Tuesday and identified Cabayag as the gunman.
Arcones is Esperat’s daughter from her marriage to Severino Arcones, an Iloilo journalist killed in 1988.
“She always reminded me to be strong for my two brothers since she could be gone anytime because of the number of death threats she received,” Arcones said.
Private Prosecutor Nena Santos could not contain her tears. Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane finished the direct presentation of the witness for her.
Santos was a close friend of Esperat and even assisted the journalist and broadcaster in filing cases against government officials.
Arcones further testified on the various cases Esperat filed before the Ombudsman against several officials, two of whom were Department of Agriculture Region 12 officials Osmeña Mon-tañer and Estrella Sabay, tagged as masterminds of the murder.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (April 6, 2006 issue)
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