PNP scores DOJ for being soft on Medel

The Philippine National Police (PNP) lashed out yesterday at a Department of Justice (DOJ) probe panel for easily letting a self-confessed killer of actress Nida Blanca off the hook.

PNP officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, rued that the DOJ team headed by State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco virtually pampered instead of punished Philip Medel Jr. for misbehaving in a court of law.

"Velasco’s kid-glove treatment of Medel who has owned up to his participation in the murder of a helpless woman admired by legions of her fans nationwide, all but made the DOJ team part of the drama that unfolded during the preliminary investigation of the cases," the officials said.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), meanwhile, said yesterday it is zeroing in on the property and money angles as the strongest possible motives behind the Nov. 7 killing of Blanca, who was Dorothy Jones in real life.

"Our investigation at the moment points to money and property as the strongest angles in the case," said NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco.

The PNP filed a murder case against Medel and an alleged accomplice identified as Mike Martinez, and a parricide charge against Blanca’s American husband of 22 years, Rod Lauren Strunk, as an offshoot of Medel’s admission of the crime.

Medel, in a 10-page handwritten confession submitted to the PNP criminal investigation and detection group, admitted having taken part in the slaying of Blanca–Dorothy Jones in real life–on Nov. 7 at the sixth floor parking lot of the Atlanta Centre in Greenhills, San Juan where she worked as a director of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.

The suspect tagged Strunk as the mastermind of the slay plot.

However, Medel, in an outburst of emotion, recanted during the DOJ’s preliminary investigation of the cases, claiming he was kidnapped and tortured by the police to admit the crime.

Despite Medel’s retraction which set back the prosecution of the case, the PNP’s Task Force Marsha vowed to pursue their probe in close coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) which has been designated the lead agency in the conduct of the investigation.

"As far as the PNP is concerned, Medel and Strunk remained primary suspects and we have strong evidence to back up our case," the officials said without elaborating.

Smarting from Medel’s retraction, the sources said they were proceeding with their job with "extreme caution," saying they would not sacrifice quality performance for speedy but haphazard investigation of the case.

"We are carefully evaluating all pieces of material and circumstantial evidence our men have so far gathered in order to build up a very strong case against the suspects and ultimately bring justice to the victim and her relatives, notably her daughter (Katherine) Kay Torres," PNP chief Director General Leandro Mendoza said.

He noted that some of the testimonies were mere trash thrown in the way of the investigators to muddle up the case.

Mendoza said the pieces of the puzzle were "beginning to fall into place."

"Hopefully, the truth should not be far behind," he added.

Mendoza said the PNP probe was "back on track" after the NBI tossed out Medel’s accusations of torture and confirmed that he exhibited no signs of internal or external injuries associated with trauma.

The medical examinations also showed that the abrasions on Medel’s wrists and ankles were caused by handcuffs and leg restraints.

The NBI findings were reportedly consistent with an earlier medical report rendered by doctors of the PNP General Hospital.

"Perhaps, Mr. Medel thought that by his voluntary admission, he would attract fame, go scot-free and come out as a folk hero," police insiders said. "When he realized he only gained notoriety and would still be held liable for his involvement in a capital offense punishable by death, he started singing a different tune and acted like a man possessed."

"Mr. Medel’s propensity to lie has been proven," they said. "He would do anything to get public attention and sympathy. But the fact remains–he is still a suspect. We have more than his own words to back up our case against him and his cohorts." — With Mike Frialde