Tuesday, January 15, 2008 RTC set arraignment of Batman slay suspect for gun raps By Rhodamae M. Hernandez
REGIONAL Trial Court (RTC) branch 9 presiding judge Romeo Albarracin scheduled the arraignment of the man pointed as suspect in the killing of broadcaster Fernando "Batman" Lintuan.
However, his arraignment is not for Lintuan's death, rather for illegal possession of firearms, for which he was originally arrested.
Oliver Antoc is facing illegal possession of firearm charges before the RTC Branch 17. Aside from the illegal possession of firearms, Antoc is also accused of drug possession after a sachet was found in his possession when arrested.
The court has yet to grant his motion to reduce bail, from P80,000 to 40,000.
Evidence was presented Monday.
The accused however was not presented at the court. "I want him to be presented para malaman niya ang consequences and even if he will be out on bail, he will appear kung kinakailangan. May instances kasi na he has to appear for identification," Albarracin said in an interview.
Albarracin said the motion was good as granted but have to reset the said hearing after the accused was not presented by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 11, which has custody of Antoc.
"On Friday, we will have the hearing and the arraignment of the accused para madali ang kaso. Tuloy tuloy na yan and wala ng ibang postponement," Albarracin said.
Antoc was charged based on the joint affidavit of arrest by PO3 Melvin Joseph Violan and PO2 Anthony Dechaves of the Regional Special Operation Group of the Police Regional Office-Southern Mindanao.
In their affidavit, the policemen said that at around 6:15 p.m. of December 28, they were tipped off that an armed man was buying roast chicken at La Verna Hills in Buhangin.
They proceeded to the area and arrested the man who identified himself as Antoc and disarmed him of a caliber .45 pistol Colt Commander with serial number J2707754, and three magazines loaded with 28 live bullets.
A sachet of crystalline substance believed to be shabu was also confiscated from his possession when he was at the police office.
Antoc was also identified by two witnesses in a police lineup as the one who shot Lintuan just over a hundred meters from the dxGO radio station along R. Castillo St. in Agdao at around 9:40 a.m. of December 24.
