2 Kabankalan brothers
get 40 years for murder

A Regional Trial Court judge yesterday sentenced two brothers in Kabankalan City to a maximum of 40 years imprisonment, or reclusion perpetua for the crime of murder.

Brothers Prudencio and Rolly Pacunla of Brgy. Tampalon, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, were found guilty beyond reasonable doubt by RTC Judge Henry Arles of killing Greg Padu-ong, and were ordered to pay the heirs of their victim P150,000 in death indemnity and moral damages, as well as exemplary damages and costs.

In his Jan. 31, 2005 decision, Arles also ordered the immediate remittance of Prudencio and Rolly Pacunla to the national penitentiary.

Arles also placed the case in the archives to be revived upon the apprehension of the Pacunlas' brother, Alex, and the identification and arrest of a John Doe and Richard Doe, who were also involved in the crime.

But the murder charge against another Pacunla sibling, Jose Joelito Pacunla, was dismissed, on the grounds that he has not been identified to have participated in the commission of the crime.

The case stemmed from a Feb. 22, 2002 incident when the three Pacunla brothers and a John Doe and a Richard Doe conspired in shooting, stabbing and hacking Padu-ong, who was playing a betting game called "hantak" in Sitio Buyunan, Brgy. Tampalon, Kabankalan.

The involvement of the five persons in the crime was attested to by prosecution eyewitness Ricky Gonzales, who said that, while Padu-ong was betting in "hantak", Alex Pacunla aimed a 12-gauge shotgun at him and pulled the trigger.

The shotgun, however, malfunctioned and did not fire, and Padu-ong and Alex Pacunla grappled for its possession. Rolly Pacunla, then shot Padu-ong, who was not hit, Gonzales said in his testimony.

The eyewitness also said that, when Padu-ong ran away, Alex and Rolly Pacunla chased him, before Prudencio Pacunla also shot him.

On the way to the creek, where Padu-ong was headed, two other persons were waiting who met, hacked and stabbed him with the help of the Pacunlas.

Arles said that because of the positive identification by Gonzales of the Pacunla brothers as among the malefactors in the shooting, stabbing and hacking of the victim, their defense of alibi has no exculpatory value.

"Time and again, the Supreme Court has ruled that alibi is the weakest of all defenses for it is easy to fabricate and difficult to disprove and cannot prevail over the positive identification of the accused by the witness," Arles said.*CPT

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Cops arrest two
wanted persons

Two brothers who have a pending arrest warrant for murder in E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental, were arrested by the police at the Hall of Justice in Bacolod City Tuesday.

Nabbed by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by Judge Evelyn Gengos were Rodrigo Jison Sr. and his brother, Rolando, both residents of Brgy. Nanca, E.B. Magalona.

Senior Inspector Santiago Rapiz, E.B. Magalona police chief, yesterday said the Jison brothers with three others, identified as Rodrigo Jison Jr., a certain Panoy Franco and Jimmy Fuentes, were charged with murder in connection with the death of Ruby Salosa, a 19-year-old student of E.B. Magalona High School, on Feb. 27 last year. Salosa had been stabbed and shot by the suspects.

Rapiz said the Jison brothers were arrested by the Silay police while they were attending a court hearing on another case at the Hall of Justice in Bacolod City at about 2 p.m. on Monday.

The Jison brothers, who are now detained at the E.B. Magalona Police Station, were denied bail by the court, he added.*GPB

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Man surrenders revolver

A 51-year-old man voluntarily surrendered his .38 caliber homemade revolver to the Bacolod police Sunday.

SPO1 Jerry Senoro of Police Precinct 6 said Remegio Bonsonato, of Purok Mahimulaton, Brgy. Banago, surrendered his .38 caliber homemade revolver without serial number to the police. He also said Bonsonato did so after hearing the Word of God in a church service attended by about 30 persons in Brgy. Banago, Bacolod City.

Senoro, the chief of the Intelligence and Investigation Branch of Police Precinct 6, said Bonsonato's actuation was unexpected and showed how God works on the lives of men.

Senior Insp. Jonathan Lorilla, Precinct 6 commander, and his men joined the church service led by Pastor Noli Bautista of the Church of Christ in the barangay.*DMG

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