Friday, October 24, 2008 DOJ questions identity of Leviste's witness
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday sought clarification from a local court on the identity of one of the witnesses presented by former Batangas governor Jose Antonio Leviste who is facing murder charges in connection with the killing of his long-time aide last year.
In an urgent manifestation, Senior State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco asked Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda to clarify the status of defense witness Orlando Rayos, who took the witness stand on October 24, 2007.
"The undersigned most respectfully seeks to clarify from the accused the true status and/or personality of one of the defense witnesses also initially named as one of the defense's sur-rebuttal witnesses. Specifically, the prosecution is referring to Orlando A. Rayos of No. 34 Philamlife Avenue, Philam Village, Las Piñas City," Velasco said in his motion.
The prosecution said Rayos was presented by Leviste as a lawyer and his former-in-house counsel.
Velasco said they want to know whether the Rayos that took the witness stand was the same person as lawyer Orlando Rayos who was disbarred by the Supreme Court (SC) in 1998.
"May the prosecution be thus enlightened by the accused, in the interest of fair play, what is the relation, if any, of defense witness, Atty. Orlando A. Rayos, with the Atty. Orlando A. Rayos in A.C. No. 2884," the prosecution's motion added.
Velasco said Rayos was disbarred by the high court following a complaint filed by her 85-year-old aunt who accused the defense witness of inducing her to withdraw money from her bank accounts so that it will be excluded from the estate of her deceased husband and his other heirs will be precluded from inheriting it.
But she said in her complaint that the respondent failed to return the money, which he deposited in Union Bank under his wife's name.
"I am sure he is one and the same Rayos as the one disbarred by the Supreme Court. They will all be liable for again misleading the court in lying as it was the practice of all their witnesses," Velasco added.
Rayos was one of the witnesses presented by the defense to belie the contention of the prosecution that Leviste murdered his friend Rafael delas Alas on January 12, 2007 inside his office at the LPL Tower in Makati.
The former governor, however, denied the murder charge and said he shot the victim in self-defense following a heated argument regarding financial matters.
The court is expected to issue a ruling on the case soon. (AH/Sunnex)
