Court rejects self-defense yarn, convicts 2 men for killing driver
A farmer from Minglanilla town was convicted to 14 years in jail, and his son-in-law to eight years for the killing of a trisikad driver in
Regional Trial Court Branch 24 Judge Olegario Sarmiento rejected the contention of 53-year-old Dominador Tabay that he stabbed to death the driver, Froilan Manatad, out of self-defense.
It was also proven during the trial that Tabay’s son in-law, Rodel Antipasado, held Manatad’s arms to give Tabay an open target for stabbing.
“With the testimony that Rodel Antipasado held Manatad which allowed Tabay to thrust the knife to the victim, it is the inevitable conclusion that Rodel cooperated in the execution of the crime and facilitated in the commission thereof,” the court decision stated.
The fight between Tabay and Manatad took place inside a karaoke joint at sitio Mananga 2 in barangay Tabunok,
Prosecution witness Isagani Nacario testified in court that he was with the victim at 10 p.m. on December 25, 2001 when he inadvertently touched Tabay as he was about to get the microphone and the song book. Tabay got angry at him, but he quickly asked for forgiveness.
He further narrated that when he and Manatad went out of the joint on their way home, Antipasado chased them then confronted him over what he did to Tabay. He tried to explain the incident to Antipasado but the latter suddenly punched him.
He said that he retaliated by kicking Antipasado but this caused him to fall to the pavement instead. This time, Manatad tried to pacify the two and stop the fight, but Tabay arrived and stabbed Manatad with a 14-inch kitchen knife.
In his defense, Tabay insisted Manatad and Nacario were the ones who started the trouble when they entered the karaoke joint. — Rene U. Borromeo/RAE
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