Defense panel in Jojo slay case claims harassment of witnesses

The counsel for SPO1 Marcial Ocampo, the suspect in the killing of Bantay Dagat project director Elpidio "Jojo" de la Victoria, yesterday told the court about the alleged harassment of their witnesses.

Lawyer Vicente Fernandez II claimed that armed men have picked up one of their runners, believing that the prosecution was responsible for the incident because De la Victoria's widow was allegedly seen when it happened.

The runner, who was later released, was allegedly asked to sit beside the controversial SPO1 Adonis Dumpit and another cop from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Fernandez asked the police to be fair by also providing security to the witnesses of the defense, informing the court that the defense will visit the crime scene next week to gather more evidence.

During yesterday's pre-trial conference, the prosecution has made several proposals which were admitted by the defense such as the fact that Ocampo is a police officer, that he went to Danao to have his firearm fixed and that he did not know the witnesses of the prosecution.

The defense, however, said that it does not have knowledge on the proposals of the prosecution for it to admit that De la Victoria died from gunshot wounds.

It did not also make any proposal for stipulation but filed a motion asking the court to release Ocampo's personal effects, which were reportedly taken from him during his arrest by the CIDG.

Regional Trial Court judge Ireneo Lee Gako gave the prosecution time to comment on the motion, but private prosecutor Rameses Villagonzalo objected to the release of the police badge of the accused because this will be part of their evidence.

The court also gave the defense five days to comment on the pending motion by the prosecution to have Ocampo placed under a preventive suspension. Both parties agreed to hear the case twice a week starting on May 23.

The prosecution said it would present seven witnesses while the defense reserved to present 15 witnesses.

De la Victoria was shot in the afternoon of April 12 near his house in Talisay City. He died the next day - Fred P. Languido