Monday, October 13, 2008 Court rules in favor of accused in gun raps By Rhodamae M. Hernandez
REGIONAL Trial Court Branch 17 Judge Renato A. Fuentes allowed a formal offer of exhibits given by the lawyer of the man who was first pinpointed to as the gunman of Fernando "Batman" Lintuan after the prosecution failed to submit its comment or opposition within the given period of time.
The prosecution was ordered to present its comment or opposition last September 23, 2008, but it has failed to do so.
Oliver Antoc is facing illegal possession of a firearm case at RTC Branch 17 and illegal drug possession charges at RTC Branch 9 after a sachet of shabu was found in his possession when he was arrested.
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 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 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 around 9:40 a.m. of December 24.
Antoc, however, was not sued for the Lintuan slay as law enforcers sued instead another suspect, Lintuan's fellow broadcaster Leonilo Larosa.
