Thursday, April 17, 2008 Widow belies 'demand letter' signed by de las Alas
THE "surprise witness" that the prosecution earlier said it would present in court against former Batangas governor Jose Antonio Leviste was the widow of Rafael de las Alas, who was killed by the former local official on January 12 last year.
During Wednesday's hearing at the sala of Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC)-Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda, Teresita de las Alas belied the authenticity of the signature her husband allegedly affixed in a "demand letter" he wrote to Leviste days before he was shot dead by the former governor.
Teresita also presented to the court a number of documents and identification cards belonging to her husband all of which bear a distinct signature, which is different from the one affixed in the letter Leviste claimed the victim wrote him in demand for at least P1 million worth of financial support to be given over a period of then months.
Leviste claimed the amount would be used by his long time aide to pay off his two girlfriends.
On Tuesday, the prosecution said it would present a person close to Leviste as its "surprise witness"
During the March 25 hearing of the case, Dina, the victim's daughter, also belied the defense presentation of the supposed "demand letter", saying the signature does not jibe with the signature of his father.
Aside from proving that the letter is falsified, Teresita likewise contradicted defense allegations that Rafael has been drinking and smoking.
"My husband had quitted drinking and smoking since the late 1970s due to his poor health," Teresita said, adding that Rafael was suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, and was even diagnosed with a benign case of prostate disease prior to his death.
The widow likewise denied defense allegation that Rafael left at 9 a.m. on January 12, 2007 to report for work at Leviste's office in Legaspi Village, Makati City.
"I last spoke with him (de las Alas) at 10:30 a.m. (also on January 12, 2007) before I went to Quiapo to attend the 11 a.m. Friday Mass, which I habitually do. He said he was told to report for work despite early plans of not going to office and instead go out with his grandchildren on that day," she said.
Defense lawyers led by former justice undersecretary Ramon Esguerra has said that Rafael reported for work early on the morning of January 12, which is not his usual habit.
Witnesses for Leviste previously testified that Mr. de las Alas, looking angry and agitated, went to his office building earlier that morning supposedly to confront the accused over money matters.
According to Senior State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco, Teresita's testimony was credible enough for the court to consider that the "demand letter" presented by the defense was falsified.
"Even a non-expert can determine the difference in the signatures. After this case is resolved, we will file appropriate charges against the people behind this falsified letter," he said.
"We've been contesting ever since that this is falsified," Velasco said while noting that the last sentence of the otherwise fully computer-encoded letter was inexplicably typewritten.
Mrs. de las Alas also said her husband had no plan to report for work that fateful day since he was expecting a visit from his children and grandchildren.
But she said her husband changed his mind after receiving a phone call from Leviste and decided to report for work. (AH/Sunnex)
