Broadcaster tags suspect as assailant

In his second time in the witness stand yesterday, radio commentator Cersi "Choy" Torralba directly tagged John Lloyd Ortiz as the one who fired shots at him and his driver on June 8, 2004.

Torralba told the court that he became positive it was Ortiz who shot them when he saw the latter on television after Ortiz's arrest two days after the incident. This identification, he said, was reinforced when he saw Ortiz in court.

"I am positive he was the one who shot me," Torralba said, his gaze fixed on the suspect.

Yet Regional Trial Court judge Eric Menchavez ordered to be removed from record Torralba's statement insinuating that Ortiz is a violent man as reportedly described to him by Ortiz's girlfriend Yvonne. Yvonne was one of Torralba's staff during the May 2004 presidential elections wherein Torralba supported the candidacy of Loren Legarda.

Torralba said he tagged Ortiz as suspect because Yvonne had told him that Ortiz allegedly got jealous when Torralba and Yvonne were together during the campaign sortie. During the campaign period, Yvonne would reportedly receive 20 to 30 missed calls from Ortiz.

Torralba said he even advised Yvonne to leave Ortiz and the two reportedly broke up a week before the elections.

The other day, Torralba showed to court the scars from the wounds he sustained from the incident. He told the court he has not gotten over the trauma he reportedly acquired from having shot at for the first time.

He said he fired back when the suspect fired at him and his driver but was not sure if he hit his target. He subsequently followed up his statement by saying he could not have shot his attacker because the same is still alive, apparently intending his words on Ortiz.

The alleged shooting occurred early afternoon on June 8, 2004 when Choi had boarded his car after coming out of Angel Radio.

Ortiz vehemently denies the allegations, saying he was somewhere else when the incident occurred.