Wednesday, May 30, 2007 Policeman faces twin murder charges
THE Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office filed two murder charges against SPO1 Mateo Yanson for the death of a moneylender and her aide, after it ruled that the policeman’s defense is best presented in court.
Yanson was tagged as the person who shot and killed moneylender Pilar Hernandez and her secretary Wivina Pancho at the PRH Lending Investors Inc. on T. Padilla Ext. in Barangay Tejero, Cebu City last Sept. 9.
Yanson was originally implicated in a complaint before the prosecutor’s office, along with his cousin SPO1 Elmo Yanson Rosales and Troy Tiago. The three were also charged with robbery.
But Assistant City Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane dropped the robbery charge as well as the charges against two other suspects, for insufficient evidence.
No bail was recommended for the murder charges.
“Although it is established that nobody saw SPO1 Yanson shoot to death the victims, a compact mass of circumstantial evidence pointing to him as the assailant is present,” noted Gubalane in his four-page resolution upon review, which modified the resolution of Assistant City Prosecutor Patrick Osorio.
Hernandez’s driver Alfonso Evangelista and security guard Allan Ambrosio had said they saw Yanson hurriedly leave the lending firm between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. that day.
The victims were killed around 8:30 a.m.
Ambrosio also stated that when he asked Pancho who killed her, Pancho replied “Yanson” while pointing to a table where the letters “Y,” “A” and “S” were written in blood.
“Also, the 9mm pistol used in shooting the victims was in possession of respondent Yanson (who also) has an unpaid loan of considerable amount from victim Hernandez,” the resolution read. (JGA)
