Florist ‘killer’ charged in court

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office has recommended no bail against a 17-year-old boy accused in the robbery and murder of a florist in October 2014.

Assistant city prosecutor Naruzen Delfin-Lorete indicted the accused, a resident of Sitio Riles, Barangay Basak, Mandaue City, for robbery with homicide after finding probable cause that he acted with discernment.

 “After a careful examination of the complaint, the narration of the witnesses and the evidence attached and also considering the denial and alibi of the respondent in his counter-affidavit, it is resolved that probable cause was established,” the prosecutor’s resolution read.

 The FREEMAN is withholding the name of the accused for being a minor. He was charged for allegedly robbing and killing Daniel More Cañete on October 20, 2014. The accused carted away valuables and cash amounting to P428,000.

Jovanie Gallega, one of the employees of Cañete, said he saw the accused leaving the flower shop carrying a sling bag and with blood stains in his short pants. Gallega said he returned to the flower shop to borrow money from the victim, his employer, because he needs money to buy medicine for his daughter.

Gallega said he found the victim bloodied with several stab wounds inside the flower shop. Homicide investigators discovered that several gadgets and cash have been missing.

Police Inspector Daniel Tarucan, during crime scene investigation, spotted the accused outside the flower shop, prompting them to invite him for investigation. The accused was later turned over to the Theft and Robbery Section.

The accused denied having knowledge of the victim’s death and the blood stains in his right hand and pants. He alleged the blood stains were from the syringe he used in injecting Nubain.

Investigators, however, found out that some of the latent prints lifted from the crime scene matched with those of the accused. Marcos More Cañete, brother of the victim, alleged that sometime in the last week of January 2014 at about 4 p.m. he saw the accused and his brother quarreling because the latter refused to give money to the accused. He allegedly heard the accused threatening the victim. — (FREEMAN)