NBI exec names another Yongco murder suspect

National Bureau of Investigation deputy director for regional operations service Reynaldo Esmeralda named another suspect in the killing of lawyer Arbet Santa Ana Yongco three years ago as testified by her two househelps during their investigation.

Esmeralda, who was then the NBI regional director, said the accused in the case, Michel Favila, Sr., was not their suspect in the killing of Yongco on October 11, 2004 inside her residence in barangay Zapatera. He was presented in yesterday’s hearing of the case to testify on the result of the NBI’s own investigation.

Esmeralda said Yongco’s two helpers, Marifil Abadilla and Baby Jane Lague, pointed to Robert “Bobby” Gamana as the alleged gunman.

The witnesses’ descriptions were made as basis for the NBI to come up with the suspect’s cartographic sketch, which matched with Gamana’s picture obtained by the NBI district office in Iligan City.

Esmeralda told the court that when they were able to make the cartographic sketch of the suspect, he immediately sent it to the different NBI offices nationwide for verification.

According to Esmeralda, the NBI office in Iligan City responded and sent Gamana’s picture through the electronic mail. He said they presented Gamana’s picture to the two helpers together with that of the alleged former bodyguard of Ruben Ecleo, Jr., who stands accused in the parricide case, in which Yongco served as private prosecutor.

Esmeralda said the two househelps picked out Gamana’s picture as the alleged gunman. He explained that the NBI had a file photo of Gamana because he was the subject of an investigation by the NBI Iligan City office for the killing of a police officer in Lanao del Sur in January 1997.

Gamana was also charged with attempted homicide in Palawan after he allegedly engaged in a shootout with the NBI, police and military personnel who were out to serve his warrant of arrest. A member of the team was wounded during the shootout, thus a case was filed against him in Palawan.

Esmeralda said based on the background given by the NBI office in Iligan City, Gamana would wear a white long-sleeve gown when he was out to kill someone. The background fitted to the description of the two helpers that the gunman was wearing a white long-sleeve gown.

He, however, said he was not able to complete the investigation because of the creation of the task force designating then police regional director Rolando Garcia as commander.

He said he immediately turned over to the task force the evidence and data of the case that they have gathered. Another suspect was then charged.

Esmeralda said they also shown Favila’s picture to the two househelps but they said Favila was not the gunman. — Fred P. Languido/LPM