NBI: No torture of 3 suspects in judge's slay

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday denied torturing the three suspects in the killing of Kabankalan Regional Trial Court Judge Henry Arles.

NBI-Bacolod head Ferdinand Lavin said, “We have admitted to taking into custody the three (suspects) who may have something to do with that (murder of Arles). But we would like to state categorically that we did not (kidnap) these people; we arrested them for illegal possession of firearms, we did not torture them, if that’s the nature of the complaints lodged before the CHR (Commission on Human Rights).”

Lavin confirmed that the three suspects are now in NBI’s Manila office and are being investigated in connection with the Arles killing.

He said they are also considering subjecting the confiscated firearms to ballistic tests to verify if they were the same weapons used in the killing of Arles.

The NBI is conducting a parallel investigation with the Task Group Arles created by the Negros Occidental police. 

Last Monday, the niece of Jessie Daguia, one of the three suspects, told the media that his uncle, Eddie Fortunado, and Vincent Capunong, who she admitted to be members of Revolutionary Proletariat Army-Alex Bongcayao Brigade, were arrested by the NBI last June 23, and were allegedly being tortured by NBI officers to own up to the slay.