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4 Vanguard
Dec. 12- 17, 2016
Mayor cleared of rape case
By Miriam Desacad
Tacloban City – Jay M. Ilagan, an elected mayor of Mataas na Kahoy, Batangas, who was later disqualified by the Supreme Court, was finally released from detention by the National Bureau of Investigation after the rape case against him was dismissed by the regional trail court in Ormoc City.
This after he spent more than 10 months in jail.
The case was filed by a 19-year old woman who worked at a hair saloon in Quezon City, saying she was raped by Ilagan in a pension house in Ormoc on Nov. 5, 2013.
Ilagan however countered that he had never been to Ormoc, adding that he was officiating at a wedding at the town hall when the alleged rape occurred.
Ilagan’ s statement was supported by the sworn statements of Moriel Abogado and Jose de Guzman who were said to be“ independent, disinterested and credible witnesses.”
In his decision, RTC Regional Trial Court Judge James Clinton C. Nuevo said the rape story of the private
( 800 EV... from p. 5)
Mayor Jay M. Ilagan
complainant should not be believed because they were mere fabrications of a lying and bogus rape victim. He said there were too many details in her story that did not match verified facta.
“ The private complainant has not been honest in this respect that the court finds her credibility and trustworthiness is serious doubt,” reads the court decision.
Ilagan also maintained that it was his political rivals who cooked up the socalled rape after he exposed the ghost projects involving a known contractor in his town. also mentioned the announcement of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar the construction of a pedestrian bridge directly connecting Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 with Newport City which is on track and due to open on the first half of 2017.
Once completed, the runway will allow the average person to walk the distance between the airport and Newport City in approximately three minutes. It will be an enclosed air-conditioned bridge with PWD-friendly facilities such as moving walkways and elevators.
Also during the same press briefing, Abella mentioned Coca-Cola Philippines’ plans to invest $ 1 billion more in the Philippines in the next few years.
The plan comes on the back of the $ 1.4 billion that Coca-Cola has already invested in the country between 2010 and 2014, he said.
The efforts include adding two new bottling lines to its Misamis Oriental plant, the rebuilding of its Tacloban plant, and the purchase of a manufacturing facility in Davao del Sur from San Miguel Corp., which speaks
He said that his legal team is now preparing a possible legal action against people who are responsible for this frame-up and fabricated criminal charges filed against him.
He also warned his coworkers in the government, especially those in elective posts, to take extra careful from being victimized such modus from their political opponents.
“ Huwag naman sana gawin ng mga kontra sa politika na gumawa ng bogus na kaso para lang sila makaupo,” he said.
( Would that political opponents would not cook up bogus cases so that they could assume power.)
In 2016 he said he won over 2,000 votes against his political rival.
But a few days after the elections, the Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Comelec to disqualify him.
Atty. Beulah Coeli C. Fiel one of Ilagan’ s legal counsels said that the human trafficking charges are still pending before Judge Nuevo’ s Sala, waiting for the prosecution to submit evidences, otherwise they will be dismissed.#
of a positive outlook in terms of economics in the Philippines.
On social welfare, Abella mentioned the President’ s pledge to give half of the Php 5 billion he received from PAGCOR to DSWD and to Department of Health, intended to fund medical needs of poor Filipinos.
“ It’ s the President’ s intention, it’ s of improving the wellbeing of the nation and this is actually part of, in a sense, an expression of his campaign promises,” Abella said. #
‘ Freedom from fear’ could be said to sum up the whole philosophy of human rights.- Dag Hammarskjold
2 nabbed in Sia murder, but brains still at large
By Jun Tarroza
Ormoc City- The murder case of businessman Wilson M. Sia was finally solved last week after two suspects, who were nabbed for other cases, confessed to committing the crime, but pinpointed at a mastermind who hired them for P20,00 for the hit.
Charged for murder are Michael A. Daclitan, 30, married, self-employed, of Brgy. San Antonio, this city; and Mark Anthony P. De Guzman, 29, single, jobless, of Sitio Colisao, Brgy. Sto. Nino, also this city.
The two pointed at Remedios C. Saberon, 45, married, property broker, of OLFAMCA Purok Crysantimum, Brgy. Cogon, also this city, as the mastermind.
They said Saberon hired and paid them P20,000 to kill Sia. She is now at large.
The two confessed the killing after the police caught Daclitan for illegal possession of firearm, and De Guzman for illegal drugs, separately, on Nov. 24.
Sia was gunned down at a car wash station along national road at SSS subdivision village, Brgy. San Pablo, here, in the morning of Nov. 8. While the victim was waiting to finish washing his multicab, one of the two suspects approached Sia sitting on a bench and shot him several times at close range, causing his instantaneous death.
The victim’ s daughter Nikki said the suspects shot his father at point blank, sustaining three gunshot wounds on his body. She said she didn’ t know the suspects personally, and what she knows was that the alleged mastermind has a debt of P410,131 from her father who was into money lending.
Wanted: Remedios Saberon
She said Saberon once attended the wake of his father at V. Rama Funeral Homes and talked to her promising to pay her debt. Saberon told her she was shocked when she heard the news of the sudden death of her father.
In their affidavits, De Guzman said he went to the house of his friend Saberon’ s son Kirby at San Antonio to meet the alleged mastermind who arranged a meeting with the two suspects at her house in Cogon. There, Saberon gave them picture of Sia weeks before the killing. The suspects found out later Saberon hired them to kill Sia because of her debt.
Kirby and Daclitan are neighbors in that village.
Also in their affidavits, De Guzman pointed Daclitan as the gunman, while the latter said it was de Guzman who pulled the gun, using a. 357 magnum pistol to kill Sia.
De Guzman stated he was driving the motorcycle when they allegedly committed the crime, as Daclitan made the same claim.
But Daclitan said he owned the RUZI motorcycle and that De Guzman asked for his gun to kill Sia.#
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Rizal Corner Osmeña St., Ormoc City, 5616399 Proprietor: Babie Ong
Forester Alejandro K. Bautista Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer CENRO, Baybay City