Favila plans to file petition for bail

Michel Favila, Sr., the prime suspect in the murder of lawyer Arbet Sta. Ana-Yongco, is expected to file a petition for bail once the prosecution is done presenting its witnesses.

Orlando Salatandre, Favila's lawyer, claims that witnesses' testimonies heard by the court so far are weak and believes his client's temporary freedom would be granted.

Since the start of the hearing last year, the prosecution has only presented four witnesses. Five more witnesses are expected to take the stand, including a witness from the Fire and Explosives Unit and another from the Land Transportation Office who are expected to appear in today's hearing.

In yesterday's hearing, Salatandre and co-counsel Noel Archival again cross examined the prosecution's fourth witness, Jocelyn Gomez, whose recollection was scrutinized with regards to her previous testimony that she saw Msgt. Haracleo Rallestan on board the alleged get-away motorcycle.

Rallestan, together with prime suspect Favila and co-accused, Nestor Carrol and Eddie Ardita, were tagged as the assailants behind the October 11, 2004 murder of Yongco at her residence in Alcohol St., Cebu City.

Gomez said she was waiting for a friend at a bakeshop near the residence of Yongco when she accidentally saw the face of Rallestan.

Gomez however admitted later that she only saw the cheekbones of the suspect and even memorized the plate number of the motorcycle.

But Salatandre and Archival found her testimony unbelievable for failing to remember the faces and names of people whom she had encountered when she was taken to the provincial Capitol to sign her affidavit last year.

Yongco was then the private prosecutor of the Bacolod family.

The suspects, Favila, Ardita, Carrol and Rallestan, were reportedly members of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association, wherein Ruben Ecleo Jr. is considered the supreme master.

Ecleo, is currently facing a parricide charge for allegedly killing his wife, Alona Bacolod-Ecleo, two years ago.

Favila allegedly went inside Yongco's office early morning on October 11, 2004 and shot the lawyer pointblank three times. He has strongly denied these allegations. - Mitchelle P. Calipayan