Wife of slain journalist takes the witness stand in hearing

The wife of slain Pagadian City journalist Edgar Damalerio was presented before a Cebu City court yesterday to strengthen the murder case that was filed against Mohammad Maulana, accused in the shooting to death of Edgar Amoro, the principal witness in the Damalerio murder case.

The trial of Maulana’s murder case was transferred to Cebu City after the Supreme Court approved the request for the security of the witnesses who are now under the custody of the Department of Justice through the Witness Protection and Benefits Program.

Amoro was the principal witness against dismissed policeman Guillermo Wapille, who was later convicted by a Cebu City trial court for the murder of Damalerio in 2002.

But the prosecution was not able to present Amoro during the trial because Maulana and another companion reportedly shot and killed him on February 15, 2005 while the victim was walking out of the premises of a school in Pagadian City.

Gemma Damalerio claimed that Maulana used to be the cellmate of Wapille while the latter was still detained in Pagadian City Jail for the killing of Damalerio.

Damalerio said although Maulana’s cases pending before the Pagadian City courts are considered grave, his counsels had managed to convince the court to allow him to post bail.

After Maulana was allowed to enjoy temporary liberty, it was the time that Amoro was gunned down.

Gemma then told Regional Trial Court Branch 6 Judge Ester Veloso that a day after Amoro’s burial, she saw Maulana went to her house. She believes that the accused was monitoring her activities.

“Gipatay si Amoro kay siya man ang principal witness pagpatay sa akong bana kay kauban man sila adtong higayona,” Damalerio’s widow said.

Damalerio was shot on the night of May 13, 2002 after driving home from a press conference in the company of Amoro and friend Edgar Ongue, who was also later shot, but survived.

Used as part of the evidence of the case was a joint affidavit that Amoro executed together with Ongue who, while not conversant on the motive of the killing, was able to identify the gunman. – Rene U. Borromeo/MEEV