CA affirms radioman killer's conviction

CEBU, Philippines – The Court of Appeals in Cebu has affirmed the conviction of a police officer accused in the 2002 killing of a radio broadcaster in Pagadian City.

The appellate court sustained the Regional Trial Court Branch 19 ruling finding Police Officer 1 Guillermo M. Wapille guilty of murder and meting him the penalty of 20 to 40 years imprisonment. The court likewise upheld the P125,000 civil indemnity awarded by the trial court to the heirs of the victim, Edgardo Damalerio.

Associate Justice Renato Francisco found no sufficient ground to disturb the trial court decision promulgated on November 17, 2005. Francisco denied Wapille's appeal for lack of merit.

Wapille was identified by witnesses as the killer of Damalerio on May 13, 2002 in Pagadian City. The Supreme Court transferred the trial of the case to Cebu City for security of the witnesses.

Edgar Ongue, one of the prosecution witnesses, positively identified Wapille as the gunman.

Ongue said he volunteered to be Damalerio's bodyguard after the latter received several death threats. The witness said that on May 9, 2002, he saw two armed persons riding on a motorcycle in front of the victim's house, one of them was Wapille.

There were other instances that Wapille was seen tailing the victim until he got the chance to kill him on May 13, 2002 while Damalerio was on his way home after attending a press conference.

Ongue said he could not be mistaken about Wapille because the latter used to be his neighbor in Barangay Pao, San Pablo, Zamboanga del Sur. – /FPL (FREEMAN)