Caterer's would-be assassins charged for robbery

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office has indicted the two self-confessed hired killers who were allegedly contracted by a former Sangguniang Kabataan official to kill her in-laws who own a well-known catering business in the city.

Cebu City Prosecutor Nicolas Sellon approved the filing of the criminal case for robbery against Sim Abordo and Roldan Ranollo. They were charged for robbing Maria Lina Mier last Sunday.

Sellon modified the original complaint for robbery with frustrated homicide that the police have filed against Abordo and Ranollo. Sellon explained that there is no such case as robbery with frustrated homicide.

According to him, the crime of frustrated homicide is already absorbed in the crime of robbery because the elements of the crime include violence, threat or intimidation. The prosecutor’s office has recommended P100,000 bail for each accused for their temporary liberty.

Abordo and Ranollo allegedly confessed to have been hired by former Punta Princessa SK chairperson Manilyn Mier to kill her in-laws Maria Lina and Ernesto Mier. But the accused alleged changed their mind when they were already about to carry out the plan. They robbed the victim instead.

Based on the admissions of the accused who were arrested after a hot pursuit operation, the police charged Manilyn Mier and her alleged cohort Vicente Maestrado with robbery and attempted murder.

The two however remained at large. They will be summoned by the prosecutor’s office to submit their counter-affidavit on the complaint.

SPOI Jeffrey Diola said in his affidavit that Abordo and Ranollo confessed to them that they were hired Manilyn to kill the owners of Maria Lina Catering Services.

Diola added that at the police station he noticed Abordo throwing away a piece of paper which he later found out to be the picture of their supposed assassination target.

According to the suspects, the picture was provided by their mastermind as the contract for them was to eliminate the victims and that the robbery aspect was just secondary to mislead police investigators of the real motive. — (FREEMAN)