Tuesday, October 30, 2007 Welder gets 14 years for killing worker By Rhodamae M. Hernandez
THE Regional Trial Court sentenced a welder to 14 years imprisonment for the death of a construction worker inside the University of Philippines in Mindanao, Mintal campus, Davao City, two years ago.
RTC Branch 11 Judge Virginia Hofile¤a Europa found Rudy Zamora Montero, 48, of Relocation Site in Mintal, Tugbok, guilty beyond reasonable doubt of stabbing dead Armando Montalbo.
The accused, assisted by his counsel Juan R. Zamora, pleaded not guilty when arraigned.
Court records showed that at around 4 p.m. of July 2, 2005, sisters-in-law Jocelyn delos Santos and Angelita delos Santos and July Ortiz were at a construction site inside the UP Mindanao campus to collect payment from the workers for viands bought from them.
Montero refused to pay his debt and was very emphatic about it. When Jocelyn told him that they will just talk about it, the accused threatened to kill them all prompting Jocelyn to go home and ask the help of her husband and brother-in-law.
The two men went to the construction site and confronted Montero. Montalbo tried to be cool about everything, but Montero rushed towards him and stabbed him several times.
In defense, the accused testified that he was at the construction site where he had a small store. He said he tried to collect P5,000 that Jocelyn delos Santos borrowed from him and his wife.
The latter promised to pay the following Monday but the debt was long overdue.
He admitted that Jocelyn's sister was there that time and was collecting debts but that he was surprised when the husbands of the women later arrived and attacked him.
The men allegedly stoned him while Montalbo rushed at him and held his hand at his back.
He claimed he was forced to stab Montalbo.
The court ruled that even if the accused claimed that the incident was done in self-defense, he failed to prove it.
The accused was also ordered to pay the victim's heir an amount of P50,000 for civil indemnity; P50,000 as moral damages; P5,500 for actual damages; and P840,000 for loss of earnings.
