Tuesday, July 29, 2008 Policeman convicted of killing moneylender
THE letters “YAS” and the last word that sounded like “son” or “sol” that was the dying declaration of a secretary that led to the conviction of SPO1 Mateo Yanson.
He was found guilty of murder of moneylender Pilar Hernandez, 61, and her secretary, 55-year-old Wivina Pancho.
Yanson was also ordered to pay both the Hernandez and Pancho families P125,000 each as damages.
The absence of eyewitness did not dampen the prosecution, which presented nine witnesses in its successful prosecution using circumstantial evidence.
The dying declaration of Pancho was a focal aspect in prosecuting the case.
The letters “YAS” were written in blood at the side a table near Pancho. PO2 Jessie Yramis was the first to see it. On the way to the hospital, Yramis also heard Pancho say “son” or “sol.”
Joined together, authorities were led to the family name Yanson. Mateo is one of two policemen with the Yanson family name. Unfortunately for Mateo, the other Yanson is not a client of Hernandez.
Hernadez owns PRH Lending Investors, a money-lending company on T. Padilla Ext., Bara-ngay Tejero, Cebu City. The company’s clientèle is mostly policemen.
On Sept. 9, 2006, Hernandez arrived at the office at 8 a.m., followed by Pancho 10 minutes later.
Allan Ambrosio, a security guard at the building where PRH Lending rents an office, testified opening the door of the office for Hernandez that day.
By 8:25 a.m., Ambro-sio said he saw Yanson come out of Hernandez’ office. He is familiar with Yanson after seeing him a number of times at PRH Lending.
Yramis later arrived and tried opening the door, but it was locked. A sign on the door indicated that the office is having an inventory. Another policeman, PO2 Jaime
Amoren Abellana later arrived. Both wanted to borrow money and waited for someone to open the door.
When Yramis peeked at the office, however, he noticed that Hernandez was slumped on a chair while Pancho was lying on the door.
Yramis was not presented in court as a witness. He died last April in a shootout with a Philippine Air Force officer.
SPO1 Jay Yballe testified on his behalf, with the affidavit that Yramis signed in relation to the twin murders.
Abellana corroborated Yballe’s testimony that he and Yramis discovered the body of Hernandez and the barely-breathing Pancho.
PO1 Eddiely Malata was also presented as prosecution witness since she owned the gun used in the killing.
She clarified, however, that she was about to sell her caliber Taurus 9mm pistol through police asset Troy Diago.
Diago was initially named a suspect in the case but was dropped by the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office. Malata testified that Yanson borrowed her pistol from Diago on
Sept. 8, 2006, claiming that he has his own buyer, and returned it on Sept. 10.
PO2 Michael Santino Cortes was possibly the last person who saw the two victims alive, before they were fatally shot.
He testified borrowing P3,000 at PRH Lending on Sept. 9, 2006 and met Yanson outside the office.
A total of nine witnesses were presented by the prosecution while the defense had four, including Yanson.
Yanson denied the charge and said he was on-duty for 24 hours straight from 8 a.m. on Sept. 9 to Sept. 10 at the Fuente Police Station.
His testimony was corroborated by SPO1 Elmo Yanson Rosales, a cousin who was also assigned to the same station. Rosales was also a suspect in the case but he was later dropped at the fiscal’s level.
“There is no direct evidence showing that Yanson was the author or the person who shot the two victims but circumstantial evidence is strong pointing to the said accused as the author of the crime,” read Regional Trial Court Judge Ramon Codilla Jr.’s 15-page decision.
“The evidence of the defense consists of alibi... He must likewise prove that it is impossible for him to be present at the crime scene or its immediate vicinity at the time of the commission,” the ruling also read.
Codilla noted that PRH Lending is just a few minutes ride away from Fuente Police Station. (JGA)
