Rico Delgado murder: Is it about money or justice?

It’s been over a year since Federico “Rico” Delgado was brutally murdered in his Malate apartment. But for the slain man’s bereaved family, it seems the wheels of justice have not started to turn at all. It can be recalled that Rico was stabbed to death allegedly by two men who then ransacked the apartment and presumably took an undetermined amount of valuables and several documents.

On the wall of the apartment, the name “Franco” was scrawled using the blood of the victim – which at first glance would have seemed to be the victim’s way to point to the one responsible for the dastardly deed. As it is, Franco happens to be the name of one of Rico’s brothers. However, Rico’s female companion Annalisa Pesico – who was with the victim during the night of the murder – lived to tell the tale, so to speak, and subsequently identified two suspects in Rico’s brutal slaying. 

Given such developments, one would have thought the trial would have started by this time. But to the utter amazement of the victim’s family, no trial date has yet been set with the counsel for the suspects filing one motion after another in what observers suspect are the usual “dilatory” tactics to keep delaying the proceedings which, if one thinks  about it, have not really started at all. 

Rico is the son of businessman Don Paco Delgado, the oldest member of the Manila Rotary who is well-respected and highly regarded by his colleagues. At 91, the venerable old man is feeling doubly painful not only because justice for his son’s murder seems like a long time coming, but also due to the fact that it is truly heartbreaking for any parent to outlive his children. 

Don Paco’s other son Mayie Delgado, a talented photographer, confirmed to me that indeed, they have been thinking about what happened to Rico and have been spending sleepless nights over the fact that justice for their brother seems very elusive. 

Of course, aside from Rico being the scion of a prominent clan and that his murder has all the elements of a mystery thriller, what makes it more compelling is the fact that one of the suspects is Louie Gonzales, the stepbrother of the victim. The other suspect identified by Pesico was said to be a former employee of the Delgados who was allegedly holding a grudge because he was reportedly deprived of a residential lot. Early on in the investigation, there have also been speculations about an inheritance dispute being the motive for the slaying. 

Louie is one of the children of the late Vicky Quirino Gonzales (daughter of President Elpidio Quirino), who was the second wife of Don Paco. Vicky died of pneumonia while visiting Amsterdam two years ago, and it was said that while she was alive, the Delgado patriarch gave financial support to the Gonzales siblings.  

With the death of the Gonzales matriarch, Don Paco reportedly stood as an heir to his late wife’s estate and so did the Delgado children indirectly since they are heirs of their father. To the Delgado siblings, however, this is already a non-issue. All they want is justice for their slain brother – and all the money in the world will not be able to bring back him back to life. 

The lawyers of Louie Gonzales presented several affidavits reportedly executed by the staff of the drug rehab ward of the Makati Medical Center, claiming that it would have been impossible for their client to have committed the crime since he was confined at the drug rehab ward at the time. Counsel for the Delgados have strongly opposed the admission of these documents, pointing out that none of the persons who supposedly executed such affidavits appeared in front of the investigating prosecutor to prove that the statements were made “freely and truthfully.” 

Interestingly, the investigating prosecutor ruled in favor of Gonzales – which the Department of Justice subsequently overturned, giving credence to the argument of the Delgado lawyers that testifying witnesses must not remain faceless, and that their testimony could not have more weight than the “definitive and positive identification” of the suspects made by Annalisa Pesico. 

What the Delgado family could not really comprehend, Mayie said, is the dogged resolve of the suspects to prevent a full-blown trial from commencing. If indeed they are innocent – a fact which they have been claiming from the very onset – then they should welcome the opportunity to have their day in court and present evidences which would finally prove their claim of innocence.  All the Delgado family wants is to know the truth and for justice to finally be served. 

As Mayie Delgado emotionally pointed out, “This is not about money. This is about justice for my brother. Let the trial begin.”

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