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Saturday, September 09, 2006
Text messages show kill plan
By Mia E. Abellana
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
The hunt for the suspected gunman may be over, but the police are not stopping yet.
Investigators are not yet buying the theory that former Biliran governor Danilo Parilla was killed Thursday morning over a drunken brawl with suspected gunman Eugenio Corpin in Naval, Biliran last week.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) is now aiding the Cebu City Police Office in the investigation.
Chief Insp. Rex Derilo, chief of the CIDG 7 Intelligence and Investigation Section, would not disclose the angle they were looking into. However, he said they were exploring the possibility that Corpin did not act alone.
Derilo pointed out that Corpin boarded the mv Cagayan Princess with no belongings.
When he came out of the boat, he had with him a bag with a firearm and was able to throw another firearm into the water.
Text messages in his cell phone also showed that he was informing somebody of his plans.
Three messages sent to a certain Pawiks and two text messages to a person named Kyobot were found in the “sent items” folder of Corpin’s phone.
“Alas 5 ang duwa pag-abot Cebu (We’re scheduled to dock at 5 in Cebu),” one of the messages read.
“OK, Cebu ko banatan (Ok, I will strike in Cebu),” another said. He also told Pawiks and Kyobot to take care of themselves.
Asked about the text messages, Corpin denied knowing anyone named Pawiks or Kyobot. He refused to comment further.
Homicide Section Chief Erlando Metante said they were now looking for two to three persons whom witnesses claimed were Corpin’s ship companions.
Corpin alleged that a certain Norbing Napoles was the one who shot Parilla.
He said if they locate the companions, they will study the possibility of including them in the complaint as accomplices or adding them as witnesses against Corpin.
Metante said they are now checking the passenger manifest to find out who Corpin was with the night before Parilla was shot.
Parilla died of a single gunshot wound that entered his nape and went through the right side of his forehead.
Senior Insp. Benjamin Lara, who performed the autopsy on Parilla, doubts Parilla had a chance of survival, as the gunshot lacerated the brain and caused hemorrhaging.
He said the gun’s barrel was six to 18 inches away from Parilla’s head.
“It was very near because there was gunpowder tattooing and smudging around the wound. Nasunog din nang konti yung buhok niya (His hair was singed),” Lara explained.
Metante is confident that they have a strong case against Corpin.
The Homicide Section has gathered five sworn statements from the boat manager, a crewmember, a passenger, Parilla’s wife and that of the arresting officers.
For his part, Biliran Gov. Rogelio Espina assured that politics in their province remains professional.
He clarified that Corpin was not his close-in bodyguard but worked with a provincial security agency.
Espina also said Corpin was kicked out of the Capitol after he was accused of robbing a Vietnamese businessman.
He said politics had nothing to do with the killing and maintained it was Corpin’s grudge against Parilla that must have led him to shoot the former governor.
Parilla allegedly hit Corpin at the Barbecue Plaza in Naval, Biliran until the shirt he was wearing reportedly tore.
This was after Corpin allegedly saw the Vietnamese businessman he was accused of robbing and asked the businessman for drinks.
After the incident, the Vietnamese told Parilla about it when he returned to their table.
Corpin reportedly saw that he was outnumbered and did not rise to Parilla’s challenge to a fight.
“Napahiya siya sa maraming tao. Maraming nag-inuman doon. Personal ‘yan dahil agrabyado siya,” Espina told radio dyLA yesterday morning.
“Professional ang pamulitika dito sa Biliran, unlike other provinces na nagpapatayan,” Espina said.
Espina is serving his second term as governor.
His father Gerardo Espina Sr. is mayor of Naval town, while his twin brother Rudy is mayor of the second largest town of Kawayan. Another brother, Gerardo Jr., is congressman.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (September 9, 2006 issue)
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