THE Office of the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor indicted the bodyguard-driver of Tejero Barangay Councilor Jessielou Cadungog for the death of PO3 Eugene Calumba last July 31.
A panel of prosecutors found enough evidence to charge William Macaslang with homicide before the Regional Trial Court in Cebu City.
They also charged Macaslang with attempted homicide for shooting Michael Banua, the police asset who drove the motorcycle that PO3 Calumba was riding.
Macaslang posted yesterday bail of P120,000 for the homicide case and P36,000 for attempted homicide, said defense lawyer Benjamin Militar.
On the other hand, the three-member prosecution panel dismissed for lack of evidence the murder and frustrated murder complaints against Cadungog.
Militar said that the prosecutors did not give weight to the police’s allegation that Cadungog was with Macaslang inside his vehicle during the shooting.
Militar said they have enough evidence to prove in court that what Macaslang did was in self-defense.
The case stemmed from the murder and frustrated murder complaints the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 7 had lodged against Cadungog and Macaslang.
Chief Insp. Hector Amancia, CIDG 7 officer-in-charge, accused Cadungog and Macaslang of conspiring to murder Calumba and attempting to kill Banua.
The National Bureau of Investigation also filed a homicide complaint against Macaslang last July 31.
Likewise, the police filed complaints against Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak and three unidentified tanods for grave threats, physical injuries, and grave coercion.
Cadungog and Macaslang also filed attempted murder and illegal gun possession complaints against Banua before the Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor last Aug. 3.
Eight witnesses, including Councilor Tumulak, executed their affidavits to corroborate the statements of Cadungog and Macaslang in filing the complaints against Banua.
Banua, who remains at large, reportedly drove near the front of the vehicle and attempted to shoot Macaslang. Macaslang fired back at Banua, but missed.
When Macaslang jumped from the vehicle and hid in a safer area, Banua attempted to save Calumba by trying to bring him to the hospital on his motorcycle.
But several tanods and Tumulak caught up with them and brought them to the police station.
In his affidavit, Banua said that Cadungog ordered Macaslang to shoot Calumba last July 31.
After being hit, Calumba sought help from a gasoline station in Barangay Tejero.
Moments later, two people arrived in a pick-up and introduced themselves as tanods. Banua said he begged the tanods to bring the wounded Calumba to the hospital. Instead of helping them, Banua said, the tanods told them not to move. The tanods reportedly refused to bring Calumba to the hospital on suspicion that he was a hitman. Calumba later collapsed to the ground. GMD