Saturday, August 14, 2004 Jabarani denies nephews involvement in teacher's killing By Jun Feliciano
BASILAN Provincial Police director Bensali Jabarani denied Friday that his nephews were involved in the June 22 fatal shooting of a woman professor of the Basilan State College (BSC) in Isabela City, Basilan.
Jabarani made the denial as he called on the investigating authorities not to pre-empt the results of the probe, stressing that under the law "the presumption of innocence" has to abide unless proven guilty.
"At saka mabait ang mga iyon (Besides they (2 nephews) are good boys," Jabarani added during the interview.
Jabarani's nephews, who are students of the BSC, were accordingly pinpointed by eyewitnesses as the alleged lookouts when Julia Bernardo, 53, was gunned down, at Barangay Eastside, at about 5:00 pm, by a motorcycle-riding gunman with a .45 caliber pistol.
The suspected triggerman is said to be a policeman, who is reportedly detailed as a bodyguard of a top politician in Basilan.
He is described as a rookie policeman, who carries the rank of a Police officer 1.
According to the latest findings of the Criminal Investigation & Detective Group (CIDG) in Isabela, which is conducting the probe, the handwriting in a letter left behind by the killer at the crime scene matched that of the suspected cop.
The handwritten specimen was examined by an expert of the PNP in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Proper charges were already filed against the suspects by the authorities the other week.
Warrants for their arrest will soon be issued by the court, a reliable police source disclosed to Sun.Star Zamboanga.
The slain teacher was reportedly on her way home from the school when she was attacked by her assassin in front of the Information Center near her residence.
She had been teaching as a professor at the said state college for more than 20 years, according to her peers.
Initial investigation pointed to personal grudges as the possible motive for her gruesome murder.
The late woman professor was described as strict to her students during classes and would not hesitate to fail anyone not deserving, according to a school source.
(Jun Feliciano)
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