EPD questions release of South Africans tagged in GRO's slay

Newly installed Eastern Police District (EPD) director Chief Superintendent Lino Calingasan recommended yesterday a deeper probe into the mysterious release of two South Africans and their driver accused of killing a 22-year-old guest relation officer in Pasig City last Oct. 20.

Calingasan admitted there is legal basis for the release of South Africans Cristo Daniels and Roland Terence after a prosecutor at the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) ordered them released from police custody last Friday.

However, Calingasan dismissed as hearsay reports circulating at the EPD that Daniels and Terence and their driver were released after shelling out P5 million to police and court personnel.

Prosecutor Pedro Oribe ordered the dismissal of the murder case against Daniels, Terence and their driver, Andrew Manabat, after the parents of victim Shahanie Maongco submitted an affidavit of desistance and withdrawal of complaint against the accused.

Upon receipt of Oribe’s release order last Friday, the South Africans and their driver were allowed to walk out of their jail by nighttime.

Calingasan learned that Daniels and Terence hastily left the country on Saturday.

“Even if the court had ordered them released, we should have been afforded at least five days to coordinate with other government agencies like the Bureau of Immigration and embassy to determine whether they are facing other charges,” Calingasan pointed out.

Calingasan said he already submitted yesterday his report to Metro police chief Director Leopoldo Bataoil with a strong recommendation that a deeper probe be conducted to ferret out the truth on the hasty release of the three murder suspects.

Maongco’s body was found wrapped in a trash bag at the basement of Daniels’ residence at the posh Valle Verde Subdivision on Oct. 20.Police believe the two South Africans have something to do with the victim’s death.

“The witness identified the suspects, and there is a great deal of evidence to prove the suspects were at the crime scene. Why was it dismissed?” said Superintendent Eduardo Villena, chief of the EPD district investigation and detective management division (DIDMD), which filed the case against the suspects.

Calingasan said it was not also clear what drove the victim’s parents to decide to withdraw their complaint. Maongco’s parents were earlier seen crying for justice after a witness identified the two South Africans as the ones reportedly responsible for their child’s death.

Daniel’s housemaid Daisy Grace Libuna claimed seeing Maongco’s body after she heard a loud crashing sound from her master’s bedroom shortly before the victim’s death.

Calingasan said Libuna’s statement is enough for the murder case to prosper in court. “It’s now up to Gen. Bataoil to decide on the issue. I’ve already done my part by submitting a report,” he said.