Witness says Choy tried to stop defense testimony

The second defense witness yesterday told the court broadcaster Cirse "Choy" Torralba told her to ask the girlfriend of the suspect in Torralba's shooting to refrain from testifying as there would be "baho nga mogawas."

Marvelous Grace Bullecer said she knew Torralba six years ago when she was still 16. It was she who referred her friend Yvonne "Mayette" Ygbuhay to Torralba when the latter asked her if she could be a volunteer for the campaign of vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda which Torralba headed.

Torralba believes he was shot June 8 last year because of jealousy. He positively identified John Lloyd Ortiz, the boyfriend of Ygbuhay, as the assailant.

"Tell her ha don't testify kay naay baho mogawas," Bullecer narrated what Torralba reportedly told her through a phone call. She added that Torralba even advised her not to get involved in the case saying "samok samok lang na."

She further testified that the day after the shooting four policemen came to her house and asked her about Ortiz. She said they showed her a sketch of the suspect of which did not look like Ortiz'. The sketch, she said, showed a person with long hair while Ortiz always sports a semi-bald haircut, the face in the sketch was oblong while Ortiz' was round.

Bullecer also said that when she was 16 Torralba used to give her gifts such as perfume, flowers and chocolates which she thought as gestures of friendship. Then she later on found out from a neighbor whom Torralba reportedly told about his affection for the girl, that the gifts meant something else.

But during cross-examination prosecutor Adelino Sitoy asked the witness if Torralba had directly told him "he is in love with you." The witness answered "no" but the gifts and the calls "were insinuations."

But the gifts were not included in the affidavit that the witness executed as she said she wanted it short, Sitoy said.

Torralba admitted he gave those gifts but only during special occasions such as her birthday and graduation. He said they were friends and even Bullecer even came to visit him in the hospital after the shooting.

The defense is set to present Ygbuhay for next week's hearing.