Court convicts 4 for slay of Japanese

The four men accused of shooting dead a Japanese national and wounding another in Banilad in 2001 were convicted yesterday of murder and frustrated murder and sentenced to 20 to 40 years imprisonment.

Regional Trial Court judge Olegario Sarmiento Jr. ruled that Norbert Antiquando, Allan Inot, Alex Oyao and Claudio Bontilao, are all guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the death of Masayuki Kuwabara and the wounding of Yoshiaki Miwa on September 20, 2001.

Antiquando, owner of Jes Handicraft in Tawason, Manduae City, allegedly masterminded the killings of his business partner Masayuki after suspecting that the Japanese was cheating him.

First Antiquando contacted Bontilao to look for a hired gun. Bontilao then met Oyao who owned the murder weapon and who suggested that they get Inot to do it.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said they first arrested Antiquando who confessed what he did. The police then went after the rest of the suspects one after the other in different places in Metro Cebu.

Antiquando reportedly drove the Toyota Tamaraw van, with Yoshiaki sitting beside him in the front and Masayuki in the back, along Banilad Road last September 20, 2001 when Inot drove up to them on a motorcycle and shot the two Japanese.

What convinced policemen that Antiquando was involved in the incident was the statement of witness Randy Mangubat who claimed that after the motorcycle left, he told Antiquando several times to chase the shooter, but he was just ignored.

When Mangubat was presented before the witness stand, he identified Inot as the gunman and Antiquando as the person who drove the van.

The court also gave credence to a radio interview over dySS where Antiquando allegedly admitted to the crime after suspecting that the Japanese were trying to cheat him.

"The recorded interview is admitted in evidence because the tape establishes the actual interview of Bobby Nalzaro of accused Antiquando and Allan Inot. The tape and the voices therein, was identified by Earl Rallos, beat reporter, and Nalzaro, the anchorman of dySS GMA Radio" the court said.

Yoshiaki, the interpreter of Masayuki, said the motive behind the killing could be a business rift because Masayuki always complained that Antiquando often delivered him products with poor quality.

The court ruled that Antiquando is guilty of the crime of murder as principal by inducement because he was the one who gave the money for the job. Bontilao and Inot were judged guilty as principals by direct participation, while Oyao is guilty as principal by indispensable cooperation having provided the weapon used by Inot.

After hearing the decision of the court, Antiquando collapsed.

Antiquando, who claimed he was made to confess his guilt under the threat of torture, still hopes justice will be on his side.

"Dili gyud na tinuod sir gipugos ra ko ana nila pag-angkon gani ila man gani ko dad-on sa Camp Crame para i-torture," Antiquando told TV Patrol Cebu.

Antiquando's lawyer Noel Archival expressed his disappointment over the decision but said they will file a motion for reconsideration and will be asking the judge to inhibit from trying his reconsideration. - Rene U. Borromeo and Ramil V. Ayuman