Man meted 20 years for killing neighbor

CEBU, Philippines – A man was sentenced to 12 up to 20 years in prison after being convicted of homicide after he allegedly shot dead his neighbor ten years ago.

Abundio Cabrillos, of Barangay Sudlon I, Cebu City, was also ordered to pay P50,000 and P30,000 more for moral damages to the relatives of Alfredo Nadera.

In his ruling, Judge Meinrado Paredes said the prosecution was able to prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.

During the arraignment of the case Cabrillos entered the plea of not guilty. But to prove the crime was committed by Cabrillos the defense presented a 16-year-old witness, a resident of Barangay Sudlon, Cebu City.

The witness said that on September 16, 2000 at around 2 p.m. he together with his father and two other men just left a fiesta celebration when he saw three men on a motorcycle shoot Nadera.

Two of the men wore masks but the other one, whom he positively identified as Cabrillos, did not.

He also said that he saw Cabrillos again on the first week of June 2001 in his school. Cabrillos allegedly requested him not to attend the scheduled August 20, 2001 hearing and offered to shoulder his school expenses.

One of the defense witnesses was, Avelino Nadera, the brother of the victim, but the court decided to favor the evidence presented by the prosecution.

Cabrillos allegedly hired Nadera to spray his mangoes before they had a falling out. (FREEMAN)