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Saturday, October 23, 2004
Lawyer quits Yongco panel
By Grecar Nilles
CEBU CITY -- "I quit!" Smarting from criticism, lawyer Gloria Lastimosa-Dalawampu announced Friday her "irrevocable stand" to step down from prosecuting lawyer Arbet Sta. Ana-Yongco's murder case.
Dalawampu, a former government prosecutor, was offended by radio commentaries and criticisms of a light moment she shared Thursday afternoon with suspected gunman Michel Favila Sr. and defense lawyer Orlando Salatandre Jr. That day, they sang.
"Sobra ra kaayo nang ingnon ka nga gabugal-bugal sa kamatayon ni Arbet. (I've been accused of making a mockery of Arbet's death. That's too much.) They do not even know what sacrifices I've made for this case," Dalawampu said.
Thelma Chiong of the Crusade Against Violence has also criticized the sing-along session after the informal conference last Thursday.
She said it did not look good that both the defense and the prosecution camps sang together, as if they have agreed on something.
But Filemon Yongco, Arbet's husband, said their family still has "full trust and confidence" in Dalawampu and that they plan to ask her to reconsider.
Lawyer Liza Corro of the Federacion Internacional de Abogadas, of which Arbet was a board member, said she and Filemon will soon talk to Dalawampu on her plan to quit.
"The people won't understand that but we, lawyers, sometimes need to be actresses also, just to get what we want. I know that is her style, but that does not mean she (Dalawampu) is not mourning for Arbet. At the end of the day, Dalawampu got what we wanted during that conference and we thank her for that," Corro said.
After an argument Thursday afternoon on whether Favila is considered a prisoner or under protective custody, Salatandre, Dalawampu, Favila and City Prosecutor Cezar Tajanlangit sang "Bato sa Buhangin" to lighten the mood.
Corro pointed out that if there was one lawyer who really sympathized with the Yongcos, that would be Dalawampu.
"Because at the time Arbet was shot, Dalawampu was the first lawyer who called up Gen. (Rolando) Garcia to inquire if there is already a lawyer who would lead the prosecution in the murder case," Corro said.
But instead of getting a pat on the back, Dalawampu got a lot of criticisms from broadcast commentators about her fraternizing with Salatandre and Favila.
In the conference at the Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor, Dalawampu managed to have Favila sign a waiver of detention until the murder complaint is resolved.
Salatandre had argued that Favila should not be compelled to sign a waiver because he (Favila) was not arrested.
If Favila had not signed the waiver, he would be free to leave Cebu City since no warrant has been issued for his arrest yet.
But with the waiver, Favila will have to stay in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation 7 until the prosecutor's office resolves the murder complaint filed against him.
"Because of what I've done, we achieved a small victory by having Favila signed the waiver. Delikado na man kong makagawas na pud unya siya (It would have been difficult if he had been allowed to leave)," Dalawampu said.
Dalawampu said she even had to stay past 11 p.m. last Wednesday and had to cancel all her scheduled cases Thursday to make sure that the suspect remained with the authorities.
She added that her quitting from the case does not need the conformity of any other lawyer, since her involvement is purely voluntary.
(October 23, 2004 issue)
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