Thursday, June 19, 2008
Man facing murder raps drops services of 2 lawyers
TWO lawyers have withdrawn their services as counsel of a man who is facing murder charges over a shooting incident allegedly sparked by a noisy dog.
Lawyers Rafael Tatlonghari and Rameses Villagonzalo are no longer acting as counsel for retired Philippine Air Force (PAF) sergeant Ernesto Bugarin, after his wife,
Anecita, sent an urgent notice to city prosecutor Simaco Labata.
The withdrawal came two days before Bugarin’s deadline to file a counter-affidavit for the preliminary investigation conducted by Labata into the murder complaint.
Bugarin has asked to extend the deadline, which was yesterday.
Villagonzalo said the change of counsel was a “personal decision” on the part of Bugarin’s family. He refused to disclose further details, saying he “respected the family’s decision.”
As of yesterday afternoon, Labata had not yet received the names of Bugarin’s new lawyers.
Bugarin is facing a non-bailable complaint for double murder and double frustrated murder after a family feud ended in the shooting of Anecita’s brother, Esmeraldo Pontanar and her father, Cristito.
Esmeraldo’s wife, Maria Glen and son, Paolo, were also wounded in the incident, which was sparked by an argument over a noisy dog. The little argument was only the tip of a long-running cold war between the Bugarins and the Pontanars.
Bugarin was the alleged gunman in the shooting, but he initially eluded arrest. He surrendered on June 4.
The complaint was filed last June 3. Because Bugarin had not been arrested at that time, the complaint was given a 14-day preliminary investigation.
With the change of counsel, Villagonzalo said he did not know whether Bugarin was ready to turn in his counter-affidavit. He said, however, that if Bugarin wanted to a new extension, he could do so through his new lawyers. (KAB)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 19, 2008 issue)
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