Murder raps filed vs. minor
in brutal killing of Gumban
BY ADRIAN NEMES III

Murder charges have been filed against the 16-year-old tagged in the brutal killing of Dr. Andres Gumban last week before the Bacolod Regional Trial Court, City Prosecutor Amando Abanado said yesterday.

Abanado, however, said, that they did not state his name and instead tagged him as “John Doe” as they are still waiting for the discernment report from the social worker of the Social Development Center.

He said they will only include the name of the 16-year-old after the social worker has submitted the discernment report in 30 days.

One of the two suspects in the brutal killing of a homosexual, whose body was found in a grassy portion of Bacolod City’s reclamation area last week, was apprehended at the Bacolod Real Estate Development Corporation (BREDCO) port at about 3 a.m. yesterday.

The suspect, 29, a seashell gatherer of Estancia town in Iloilo province, whose name is being withheld pending the filing of charges, is now detained at Police Station 2, City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz said.

The suspect, however, vehemently denied the accusations, claiming that he just arrived from Hinigaran town, where they gathered shells and was surprised that the policemen arrested him.

Eighteen farmers claiming to be government agrarian reform beneficiaries, were charged for illegal trespassing and grave threats before the Provincial Prosecutors of Negros Occidental, for allegedly occupying and plowing a portion of the Negros First Ranch on April 2 and 4, in Brgy. Santa Rosa, Murcia, and for threatening government employees assigned in the place.

Provincial Legal Officer Jose Maria Valencia yesterday said they may include provincial and municipal agrarian reform officers as additional respondents in the criminal complaints, if the farmers, in defense of themselves, claim that they were ordered to occupy a portion of the Negros First Ranch, because it has already been placed under the government's Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

They have to suffer the consequences of their action, Valencia said, referring to the farmers.