Wife, children of Archival’s slain aide sue 7 HPG officials

CEBU, Philippines - Seven members of the Highway Patrol Group, including its director, Chief Superintendent Arrazad Subong, are facing charges in court over the ambush-slay of lawyer Noel Archival and his aides.

This after Emily Declaro-Miñoza, wife of Archival’s bodyguard Candido Miñoza, who was also killed in last year’s ambush, lodged a civil case against them, seeking for P2 million damages.

Named defendants were Arrazad, Chief Superintendent Jaime Morente, chief of the Personnel Holding and Accounting Section (PHAS); Senior Superintendent Romualdo Iglesia, former HPG-7 director; Chief Inspector Eduardo Mara, former provincial director of Cebu, HPG-7; Senior Inspector Joselito Lerion; SPO4 Edwin Galan; and PO1 Alex Bacani, all of HPG-7.

Emily filed the case together with her minor-aged children. The couple has five children ages 22, 20, 19, 17, and 14.

The bereaved wife said that because her husband was killed, the education and needs of their children are now at stake since they rely merely on the income of her husband.

Emily said that with her husband’s death, their dream of a happy life cannot be continued.

“Plaintiff’s husband Candido was still a man at his prime at the time of his death, and according to the table of mortality or life expectancy, he has no less than 20 years of life remaining in which to love, work, support and care for plaintiff Emily and their children,” the complaint read filed by lawyer Gloria Dalawampu.

Aside from moral damages, Emily said the HPG officials and officers are likewise liable for actual damages as they spent for the funeral and burial expenses.

Emily sought from the defendants P1.5 million as moral damages; exemplary damages in the discretion of the court; P200,000 as actual damages; and P300,000 as attorney’s fees.

Iglesia, Lerion and Bacani have been charged for criminal case for multiple murder and frustrated murder over Archival’s ambush-slay.

A warrant of arrest was issued against them, but when the National Bureau of Investigation served the warrant on December 12, 2014 at the PHAS office in Camp Crame, Quezon City, they were no longer there.

On January this year, the three were dismissed from the roll of the Philippine National Police.

Iglesia, Lerion, and Bacani were tagged in the killing of Archival, his driver Alejandro Jayme and bodyguard Miñoza on February 18, 2014 while they were returning to Cebu City from Dumaguete City where they attended a court hearing.

Archival’s assistant, Paolo Cortes, survived the attack.  (FREEMAN)