“CHOP-CHOP” CASE: Suspects want psychiatric exam

Two of the three accused charged in the gruesome killing of a nursing graduate and her cousin, whose body parts had been severed, have asked for a psychiatric examination before they face the court for arraignment.

Richard Gudelosao and Joseph Roy Cellar, who earlier admitted to chopping up Eva Mae Peligro and her cousin Gwendolyn Balasta after strangling them to death, yesterday filed an urgent motion to allow them to undergo psychiatric examination.

Lawyer Salvador Solima, who filed the motion on behalf of the two accused, said that Gudelosao and Cellar are charged with double murder.

He said that the manner the crime was committed is “revolting and apparently the accused were under the influence of drugs whose mental faculties have been distorted.”

In a one-page motion, Solima said it is appropriate that the frame of mind of the accused should be examined first before they are arraigned of the charges for them to be able to realize the consequence of their plea.

“It is prayed of this Honorable Court that a psychiatric examination be conducted on the accused, likewise an examination be made to determine whether the accused are under the influence of drugs,” Solima said in his motion filed before the Regional Trial Court Branch 23, where the case was raffled off.

Gudelosao and Cellar together with Jean Antonette Medalle, the common-law wife of Gudelosao, were charged in court for the twin murder of Peligro and Balasta last month.

Gudelosao, a taxi driver, with house caretaker Cellar admitted to strangling Peligro and Balasta before chopping them up.

Using a kitchen knife, the bodies of the victims were cut up and placed in 13 garbage bags before these were thrown separately in the mountain barangays of Toledo, Naga and Talisay cities and Minglanilla town.

Gudelosao admitted to the police earlier that he killed Peligro, who was his younger brother’s fiancée, for passing on intrigues to his brother and mother in the United States, which resulted to the cutting off of his monthly allowance. Balasta was also killed to remove any possible witness to the killing.

Meanwhile, six policemen from Minglanilla were awarded with PNP medals for their “exemplary work” in solving the gruesome murder of the two women.

  Police Regional Office-7 deputy director for administration, Chief Supt. Federico Terte personally handed the PNP Medalya ng Kasanayan for professionalism in the solving of the Peligro-Balasta double murder case to Minglanilla Police Station chief, Sr. Insp. Romeo Santander.

The PRO-7 also awarded the same medal to Santander’s investigators and miscellaneous team members composed of SPO1 Procolo Ando, Jr.; PO3 Allen Garciano, PO3 Roland Canillo, PO2 Avelino Selloria, and PO1 Rodulfo Quilala.

The director of PRO-7, Chief Supt. Ronald Roderos who was not able to attend the ceremony yesterday morning at the Camp Sergio Osmeña, Sr. formation ground because of an ailment earlier said he would also recommend to the national headquarters spot promotions for the said performing cops. — Fred P. Languido and Edwin Ian Melecio/MEEV