Murder raps filed vs 4 in ex-US Marine’s slay

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed murder charges in court against four men involved in the killing of former United States Marine George Anikow, husband of a US embassy employee, in Makati City last week.

The DOJ has found probable cause to indict Juan Alfonso Abastillas, 24; Crispin dela Paz, 28; Osric Cabrera, 27; and Galicano Datu III, 22, for the fatal stabbing of Anikow during a brawl between them.

Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, chief of DOJ’s national prosecution service, confirmed that the case was filed before the Makati regional trial court Tuesday and was raffled to the sala of Branch 56 Judge Winlove Dumayas yesterday.

The complaint was filed based on the recommendation of Makati City Assistant Prosecutor Gilbert Alcala, who conducted inquest proceedings on the murder charges filed against the suspects by the police.

In a five-page resolution, Alcala cited as basis the testimony of Bel-Air Village security guard Jose Rommel Saavedra, who witnessed the incident and identified the four respondents, as well as closed-circuit television footage showing the respondents attacking the victim.

“The fact that all the respondents even chased him, despite the fact that he already sustained a stab wound and ran away, and continued attacking him despite the fact that he already fell to the ground and was unable to defend himself against their assault, are clearly indicative of a common design to proceed to such extremity of killing him,” Alcala said.

The prosecutor also cited as qualifying circumstance for the alleged murder “abuse of superior strength.”

Records showed that the incident took place at around 4 a.m. at the Bel-Air Village gate on Nov. 24.

A verbal confrontation ensued between Anikow and suspects after the victim strongly tapped the rear left side of a Volvo sport utility vehicle occupied by the suspects, who wanted to enter the village as a shortcut to nearby Palm Village, where Cabrera lives.

The victim allegedly suddenly hit one of the respondents, triggering a fistfight until one of them brought out a knife and stabbed Anikow. The bloodied victim already ran away but the respondents chased him and again took turns in beating him.

Makati police chief Senior Superintendent Manuel Lukban said the city police has yet to receive the results of a DNA test done on a bloody tactical knife recovered in the suspects’ vehicle. The test could prove who really stabbed Anikow, he said.