2 more suspects show up at CHR

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Two of the 11 suspects in the murder of Kabankalan City RTC Judge Henry Arles had showed up at the Commission on Human Rights in this city last Friday to file harassment charges against the NBI.

Marvin Salve, vice commander of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army—Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) in the 6th District of Negros Occidental, and his close-in buddy Gerald Tabujara, an RPA-ABB member, denied participation to the crime and complained that NBI is falsely charging them with murder.

Salve and Tabujara were earlier named two of the suspects in the murder of Arles. The victim’s family, in their complaints filed at the DOJ last July 27, said Salve was with Alejandro “Vincent” Capunong and Eddie Fortunado on board a tricycle that blocked Arles car when the judge was on his way home to Ilog on April 24.

The triggerman, Jessie Daguia, was riding in a motorcycle driven by Gerald Tabujara. Daguia fired the first three shots that killed the judge, while Tabujara also fired a shot, the Arles family alleged.

Daguia, Capunong and Fortunado, who are all RPA-ABB members, are currently under the custody of the NBI Manila after they sought protective custody in writing, NBI Bacolod head Ferdinand Lavin said.

But Fortunado, who was brought to Bacolod Regional Trial Court Branch 42 last Wednesday for a summary hearing, retracted his supposed statement with the NBI, saying he was tortured into admitting the crime. He also denied seeking protective custody with the NBI.

Last Thursday, a new witness hidden under the codename “Honeybee” pending her admission to the Witness Protection Program, had named Salve and Tabujara in her affidavit submitted to the DOJ. She added that Salve was allegedly approached by the group of Ilog Mayor John Paul Alvarez, Cauayan Vice Mayor Jerry Tabujara, and Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr. to kill the judge. 

Lawyer Frank Britanico, spokesperson of the Arles family, laughed off the complaints of harassment by Salve and Tabujara. “This latest maneuvering of the suspects has no legal value and no legal basis,” Britanico told The Freeman in a phone interview. “It’s funny, it’s a comedy. It’s like a robber going to the police to complain of the robbery even before the victim came to the police,” he said.

Britanico also reacted on the statement of Vice Governor Alvarez that the testimony of the new witness was a “fairytale.” The vice governor has the “right to say that, but as far as we are concerned the statements of the witness is very credible.”

As for Cauayan town Vice Mayor Tabujara who said the allegations of “Honeybee” was politically motivated, Britanico said, “That’s a convenient excuse,” adding that there can be no political underpinnings here because the Arles and Britanico families are not voters of Cauayan town and none of them have plans for the elections.

Meanwhile, Britanico said the DOJ subpoena against the suspects is “coming soon,” probably not later than end of August. The other suspects in the case are Emmanuel Medez, an administrative aide of the Ilog municipal government, and a “Jane Doe” whom they have yet to identify, he said. — THE FREEMAN