Witness identifies 3 Yongco suspects

The prosecution witness yesterday pinpointed before the court the three of the suspects in the murder of lawyer Arbet Sta. Ana-Yongco late last year.

Jocelyn Gomez said she was buying bread at 7:30 a.m on October 11, 2004 when she saw two men - the one sitting on a motorbike while the other one wearing a black jacket.

Gomez was asked if she could identify the driver, whom she described as having a round face, high cheekbones and being bald. The witness stood up and pointed to Heracleo Rallestan.

According to the witness, the 5'6" tall person who alighted from the motorcycle and went towards Yongco's store had chinky eyes and curly hair and fair skin was Eddie Ardita, who was inside the courtroom.

Defense lawyer Noel Archival temporarily represented Ardita since his lawyer, Chezie Demegillo, failed to attend yesterday's hearing. Archival was the lawyer of Rallestan and Carrol.

The hearing, which was supposed to start at 2 p.m., was delayed for almost an hour, as Ardita came late. When asked by Judge Bienvenido Saniel why he was late, Ardita said the Criminal Intelligence Detection Group personnel who had the key of his cell could not be found.

The witness said that after buying bread, she went to a store to buy cigarettes and medicine. At the store, she said she saw a "Turko" whom she later corrected as actually a "meztizo."

When asked if that "meztizo" man was inside the courtroom, Gomez said yes and pointed to Nestor Carrol.

Gomez said she then heard a woman screaming: "Manay was shot at kuya's place." Immediately thereafter, a siren was heard at the house of the Yongcos at corner Alcohol and Sikatuna Streets.

The witness said she later found out from the people milling around Yongco's house that the lady lawyer was shot.

During the cross-examination, defense lawyer Orlando Salatandre, Jr. asked the witness "why it took her long to execute an affidavit."

The cross-examination, however, was cut off when it was already 5 p.m. and Saniel allowed for it to continue today.