Ex-lawmaker's son-in-law kills her boyfriend

MANILA, Philippines - Former Quezon City congresswoman Nanette Castelo-Daza called the police about a commotion at her house on Maningning Street in Quezon City at past 10 p.m. Friday.

When the police arrived at the gate of the house in Barangay Teacher’s Village East, they heard successive gunshots and saw a man carrying a gun coming out.

The gate was then open and police could see from outside the bloodied body of another man.

The armed man dropped his gun and voluntarily raised his hands in surrender.

He was identified as Allan Robes, 38, a Bulacan provincial board member and the husband of Nanette’s daughter, Councilor Jessica Daza.

The slain man was Noel Orate, 55, reportedly Nanette’s lover.

Orate, a district manager at United Laboratories, sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the chest, according to Chief Inspector Rodel Marcelo, head of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit.

In an interview yesterday, Marcelo said it appeared to be a duel between the two men.

The gun that Robes dropped was a caliber .380 Keltec loaded with a magazine with two live bullets.

Lying beside Orate’s body was a caliber .9mm Smith & Wesson Parabellum.

It was not yet clear whether Orate was able to fire a shot, but according to Marcelo, the gun’s magazine was still fully loaded with 14 live bullets.

Case investigator SPO1 Joselito Gagaza said they recovered from the crime scene five shells and two deformed slugs.

Marcelo said Robes already underwent a paraffin test yesterday, which will be performed on the victim as well.

Based on the paraffin test result, Robes was positive for gunpowder burns.

Gagaza said they would also like to perform the same test on other members of the household but the police cannot compel them to do so.

After the incident, Nanette was reportedly taken to a hospital to treat her foot, which she injured during the commotion, when a table fell and hit her.

According to Marcelo, as of yesterday, no one from the Daza family would talk, not even the suspect.

‘What led to the shooting?’

As of yesterday, what remained unclear to the police was how the victim ended up dead.

Orate’s son Noel Jr., 28, who works at IBM in UP-Ayala Technohub, told the police that Nanette called him up that night about the incident.

In his affidavit before the police, the young Orate said Nanette told him that his father was already dead but it was not clear whether he was told what led to the killing.

He also told police that his father and Nanette had been in a relationship since he was a teenager.

At the time of the killing, Orate was with Nanette, Jessica, Robes, Nanette’s brother Bobby and a house helper.

Senior Inspector Mario Manahan, head of the QCPD’s Tactical Operation Center, said he received the call about the incident from Superintendent Ronnie Montejo, station commander of the QCPD-Station 6.

Daza initially called Montejo for assistance but he does not have jurisdiction over the incident.

According to a source, what happened could be an act of self-defense.

The source, who did not want to be identified, said Nanette had long wanted to end the relationship with Orate.

But on Friday night, a reportedly drunk Orate allegedly went to Nanette’s house, carrying a gun. He allegedly made threats, leading to a commotion at the house.

Robes then intervened and it was during this time that the shooting happened.

Meanwhile, Robes has already been taken into custody for questioning at the QCPD-CIDU.

Yesterday afternoon, Mayor Herbert Bautista and Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte visited Robes at his place of detention.

Belmonte said she was concerned about the condition of Robes’ wife, Jessica, who decided to stay with him even though she is pregnant.

Meanwhile, news of Robes’ involvement in the shooting incident shocked many Bulakenyos, especially his fellow provincial board members.

Robes is the first cousin of Rep. Arthur Robes of the lone district of San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan, and has worked as his assistant in Congress during the lawmaker’s first term.

Ramon Posadas, who is representing the second district of Bulacan in the provincial board, said Robes must cooperate with authorities.

Posadas added that he knows Robes as a peaceful man.

For his part, former board member Vicente Cruz advised Robes to secure the services of a lawyer, while Bro. Martin Francisco of the San Jose del Monte City-based Sagip Sierra Madre Environmental Society said Robes’ friends must refrain from influencing the case. – With Dino Balabo