A PRE-TRIAL conference for the murder case filed against former Davao Regional Intelligence Unit Chief Leonardo Felonia who was tagged in the murder of Cebu-based businessman Richard King on June 17, 2014 is set on Tuesday, September 6, at Regional Trial Court Branch 16.
The pre-trial was previously set after a motion to fix bail filed through the counsel of the accused was denied by RTC 16 presiding Judge Emmanuel Carpio in an order dated August 11, 2016.
The motion to fix bail was earlier denied due to the ruling of Carpio that "though allegation of treachery may not be appreciated against accused Felonia, (as stated in the memoranda filed by the defense of the accused), the allegations of conspiracy and consideration of price can appreciably apply to him, which is the basis of the denial of the motion".
It can be recalled that the pre-trial conference was earlier set June 17, 2016 but was instead changed for the hearing of the motion to fix bail filed by Felonia's legal counsel Ceasar Europa.
In an order dated April 12, Carpio directed the prosecution to comment on the motion to fix bail within 10 days from the issuance of the order.
A motion to discharge state witness was also filed by the private prosecutors before the sala of the RTC Branch 16.
It was earlier reported that Felonia pleaded not guilty during his arraignment at the RTC-Branch 16 last December 11 while Labang and the DelaCerna brothers were also arraigned at the same branch after Presiding Judge Emmanuel Carpio ordered a not guilty plea on their behalf last September 24 after a series of failure to appear before the Court.
Felonia's arraignment was supposed to be held in Quezon City as partially granted by the Supreme Court in response to petition for the change of venue previously filed by Felonia's legal counsel but this was reversed after the High Court granted the motion for reversal filed by King's legal counsel. (KVC)