NBI asks US to speed up Strunk extradition

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has asked the US government to speed up the extradition of American Rod Laurence Strunk so he could face prosecution for the murder of movie actress Nida Blanca in November 2001.

In a slide presentation, the NBI said the Blanca slaying carries more weight than any other case.

"To us Filipinos, an actress like Nida Blanca is not just another movie idol. She is to us a public figure. Her death carries more weight than any other case, even political assassinations," the NBI said.

In a 98-page presentation, the NBI said Strunk should be immediately tried in the Philippines because the murder of the multi-awarded actress "is of national concern to the Filipino people."

"Rod Strunk needs to be tried in the Philippines because Nida Blanca is a Philippine movie icon. The brutal murder of a popularly known and publicly acclaimed movie icon is of national concern to the Filipino people" the document stated.

Blanca was found dead on Nov. 7, 2001 at the parking lot of the Atlanta Center that houses the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board offices where she worked.

It was gathered that at least two NBI agents who handled the case are set to attend the next hearing of Strunk’s extradition in the US this September. They would present profiles of Blanca, Strunk, Philip Medel Jr. and an analysis of forensic evidence from the crime scene. – Cecille Suerte Felipe