Nida’s daughter wants charges vs mom’s aide dropped

The only daughter of slain actress Nida Blanca asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday to drop the charges against her mother’s aide, Elena de la Paz, who has been accused of being an accessory to the crime.

In a two-page letter to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Ma. Katherine "Kaye" Torres said she does not believe De la Paz is involved in the killing of her mother.

De la Paz worked for Blanca, Dorothy Jones in real life, for 45 years.

"I have known her for 45 years now as she had faithfully served my mother for approximately the same amount of time. Tita Elena, as I have been accustomed to calling her, not only loved my mother more than a sister and best friend, but also gave me and my grandmother and relatives, the same amount of love, affection and dedication and loyalty," Torres said.

She said there was never a time that De la Paz "had been guilty of any wrongdoing or sinful act or behavior that would render her suspicious, dishonest or disloyal" during the 45 years she worked for the actress.

State prosecutors indicted and filed last June 28 charges against De la Paz as accessory of principal accused and Blanca’s husband Rod Strunk in the Nov. 7, 2001 murder.

Blanca’s body was found inside a car parked at the building housing the Movie Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) offices in Greenhills, San Juan. Blanca was then a board member of the film review body.

De la Paz was indicted in the killing of Blanca on the basis of the testimony of prosecution witness Rannie Francisco.

Francisco said he had seen De la Paz fetching Blanca from her office on the night of the murder.

The witness said he also saw De la Paz with Blanca at the sixth floor parking lot of the building, where Blanca was found dead inside her car several hours later.

Torres claimed De la Paz was with her grandmother during the time Francisco claimed he saw the actress and her aide together.

Torres said her grandmother’s family friend Bernard Fernandez, cook Praxedes Firaza and her husband-gardener Anghel Firaza can attest to her claim that De la Paz was with her grandmother when Blanca was killed.

"For me, this kind of accusation is a crime in itself. How can I expect the DOJ to give justice to my late mother with this kind of injustice being done to Tita Elena? We cannot solve a crime by committing another crime. I know in my heart that Ranny Francisco is a fabricated witness and his testimony against my Tita Elena is a lie," she said.

De la Paz went to Gonzalez’s office yesterday, accompanied by Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, upon learning that Torres was meeting the DOJ chief.

Gonzalez, for his part, said Torres’ letter would not make any difference.

"Kaye was simply trying to express her own view. It does not bind me. I did not give any assurance or commitment to Kaye or to anyone" he said.

Gonzalez said it is up to the court to decide.