Allan Dizon Slay Case: 4th defense witness mimics testimony of third witness

Like the one before him, the fourth defense witness in the case of slain The FREEMAN photojournalist Allan Dizon yesterday testified that he saw the two prosecution witnesses drinking near his place minutes before Dizon was shot dead.

Ryan Igot, 26, of Igot Compound, Mabolo, Cebu City, told the court that around 6 p.m. last November 27 while he was on his way to buy bread at a bakeshop near SM he saw Faustiniano Doller and Epifanio Barcuma drinking with his uncle Alan Igot and Junnie Flores, his cousin's husband, at a store near his house. Igot said his place is about a 10-minute from to the mall.

When he was near the bakeshop Igot said he heard three successive gunshots that made him duck and search for where they came from. Then he saw Dizon soaked in blood lying face up infront of a cellular phone shop.

When everyone rushed to Dizon Igot said, he also joined them.

When asked if he saw, Doller and Barcuma among the people milling around the place, Igot said he did not see any of the two even Alma Doller, sister of Faustiniano, who was said to be a cigarette vendor in the area. The Dollers and Barcuma were the prosecution witnesses who earlier testified they were in the crime scene. He added he also could not identify anyone from the crowd as there were so many people around.

But when cross-examined by prosecutor Dante Ramos Igot more than twice changed his answer. When asked who referred him to be a witness Igot said it was Flores. Ramos then asked him if Flores told him what he should say in court, the witness answered "no" adding that he never talked to Flores before the hearing. Later he told the court he knew Flores was the next witness of the defense and later still he said he did not know that Flores would also be testifying.

Igot was also not able to justify the time he said when he was made to estimate. He said he left the compound at 6:30 p.m., then arrived at the bakeshop ten minutes later. He then said it took two minutes for him to be able to see Dizon lying on the ground, and then he stayed for 15 minutes to view the body. It also took him another 10 minutes to go back home. Ramos said all in all it would take him approximately 7:07pm to reach home but Igot told the court he arrived in his house at 6:50 p.m. or 7 p.m. at the most.

The witness also added that Doller and Barcuma were still where they were when he last saw them, drinking in that same place.

Regional Trial Court branch 5 judge Ireneo Gako Jr. scolded the witness for being irresponsive to the questions of Ramos thus causing lawyers to quarrel.

After the proceedings, Gako told both panels he hoped to finish the case by December. The defense is set to present five more witnesses.