DOJ rejects transfer of Illustrisimo case

The Department of Justice has junked the request of former policeman Arnulfo Pigon to transfer the venue of a murder complaint he is facing to Manila.

Cebu City chief prosecutor Nicolas Sellon said the DOJ’s go signal to proceed with the resolution of the murder complaint against Pigon and Sta. Fe town mayoralty aspirant Zosimo Zaspa can be construed that the DOJ has junked Pigon’s request.

Sellon yesterday said it is now safe to assume that Pigon’s case would remain here in Cebu despite the absence of a written order from the DOJ. Even the DOJ’s order to proceed with the resolution of the complaint was given verbally by Secretary Raul Gonzales.

Pigon had requested that the preliminary investigation of his case be transferred to Manila because his life is reportedly in danger here in Cebu.

But in a comment to the DOJ, the city prosecutor’s office said it has not received any report on threats against Pigon’s life.

“With respect to the request of Arnulfo T. Pigon, Jr. for the transfer of the venue of the preliminary investigation due to alleged threats against his life here in Cebu City, the undersigned is totally unaware of such threats as this office had not received any complaint in regard thereto from either Mr. Pigon, Jr. or from anybody else acting on his behalf,” Sellon had said earlier.

Pigon, a former operative of the Special Weapons and Tactics has been tagged as the alleged gunman in the May 2, 2007 shooting of mayoralty aspirant Rogelio Illustrisimo Sr. Police also indicted Zaspa, Illustrisimo’s political rival, the alleged brains of the killing.

The other day, the DOJ directed the city prosecutor’s office to proceed with its resolution on the complaint. With the go signal already given, Sellon said a resolution on the complaint may be arrived at early next month.

Both Pigon and Zaspa vehemently denied the allegations. Pigon even alleged that the case is “scripted” and that he is just a “fall guy/sacrificial lamb”.

Pigon said it was impossible for him to be the gunman because he was in Antipolo City when the incident happened. He denied having met both Illustrisimo and Zaspa prior to the incident.

Zaspa, for his part, vehemently denied the charge, saying he could not be implicated just because he happened to be in the premises when Illustrisimo was shot. Zaspa contended that even if a person happens to be at the scene of the crime, his mere presence will not automatically make him a conspirator or direct participant in the crime.

Illustrisimo was shot outside the provincial office of the Commission on Elections shortly before noon on May 2. Illustrisimo had just attended the hearing of the disqualification case Zaspa filed against him. At least three witnesses allegedly identified Pigon as the gunman.— Joeberth M. Ocao/QSB