DOJ OKs murder charge for 'gift bomber'

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved the indictment of the woman who alleged delivered a gift-wrapped bomb that killed a housewife in Taguig City in December last year.

In an 11-page resolution approved by Prosecutor General Claro Arellano and released yesterday, the DOJ has recommended the filing of charges for murder and illegal possession of explosives against Rhea Dalde-Obra, the primary suspect in the killing of Yvonne Chua last Dec. 29, 2010.

Investigating Assistant State Prosecutor Gerard Gaerlan found probable cause to indict Obra through a complaint filed by District Investigation and Detective Management Division (DIDMD) of the Southern Police District last February.

Obra denied the charges during preliminary investigation, but Gaerlan said the respondent has “failed to show clear and convincing evidence that she was indeed at their hometown in Famy, Laguna when the gift was delivered to the complainant’s old house at Parañaque City.”

Instead, the DOJ gave credence to the identification made by security guard Reynaldo Busalanan, who said he received the gift bomb from Obra. Gaerlan said “there was a clear intent to kill” Chua.

“In the instant case, it is clear that the method and form of execution of placing several hand grenades inside an innocent-looking gift was indeed deliberately and consciously adopted by the attacker to insure the execution of the crime without the risk of reprisal or retaliation from the victim,” he said.

The information was filed in the Taguig regional trial court last Sept. 9. In his complaint-affidavit, Chua’s husband, Vinson, said Obra was a former house helper of his wife’s brother, Arnold Padilla.

Obra, 23, had already denied before the police investigators last week that she was behind the killing. She even denied bringing the gift to the victim’s old house.

DIDMD chief Superintendent Elwin Fernandez said that on Dec. 28 last year, a woman delivered the package to Chua’s old home in Parañaque City. The following day, the Chua family driver brought the package to the Chuas’ other home in Taguig City, where Yvonne was residing.

At about 10:30 a.m. that day, Yvonne opened the package, which contained five different types of hand grenades. Though only one exploded, Yvonne died on the spot. Vinson and their six-year-old daughter were not hurt in the blast.

Police said Obra was not arrested since she only surfaced weeks after the incident. The victim’s husband was earlier considered a suspect by police before Obra was identified by witnesses.