A Bacoleño was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment yesterday for the murder of a drunk barangay street cleaner who was flirting with his younger sister at a videoke bar in Barangay 21, Bacolod City,  during 2004 MassKara Festival celebration.

Judge Roberto Chiongson of the Regional Trial Court of Bacolod found Arlan Belocora Dingson guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the murder of Rey Aragon Denosta   and sentenced him to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua.

Dingson was also ordered to pay the heirs of Denosta P50,000 as death indemnity and P25,000 as reimbursement for burial expenses.

His co-accused Pedrito Opisyal Jr. and three unidentified persons remain at large.

The judge said evidence of both the prosecution and defense show that on the evening of Oct. 16, 2004 Denosta, along with Barangay 24 Captain Lope Ledesma Jr. and Kagawad Joel Gadayan, were drinking beer at Abredor Videoke at Rizal-Lacson streets and were discussing their barangay’s participation in the city’s charter day parade.

Joy Belocora, 24, and the sister of Dingson, was at the time of the incident, working in Abredor as a waitress.

She was the one who served beer to Ledesma and his companions, and Donosta told her she was beautiful.

Dingson and Opisyal, who is Joy’s live-in partner, arrived with their companions and sat down at a table next to that of Ledesma’s group.

When Joy served the last round of beer ordered by Ledesma’s group, Denosta again told her she was so beautiful and “If she becomes his girlfriend he would marry her in all the churches.”

Opisyal did not like Denosta’s comments and stared at him and the later stared back.

Dingson left his chair and stabbed Denosta from behind with a thin pointed weapon hitting him in the nape. He was absolutely unprepared and defenseless, the court was told.

The judge noted that Dingson looks “very tough and very mean and by his own admission has at least two cases of attempted or frustrated murder.”

Opisyal and three of their companions joined the fray and stabbed Denosta some more.

Ledesma and Gadayan were prepared to help Denosta but the court noted that “they wilted and desisted when warned not to intervene least they only get themselves killed.”

Stab wounds  and other injuries caused  by bottle and fist blows  caused Denosta to fall to the ground face up after which his attackers fled, but Dingson returned  squatted in front of the victim and stabbed him two more times.

Bacolod City Medico Legal Officer, Dr. Eli Cong, told the court Denosta suffered eight wounds and died from severe hemorrhage.

It was only on March 18, 2006 that Dingson was finally arrested and it is a settled evidentiary rule that flight is an admission of guilt, the judge noted.

The judge said the treacherous attack was committed twice – when Debosta was stabbed from behind and when he was lying down wounded and defenseless.*CPG

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