Cop gets 40 years for slay of moneylender, secretary

A policeman accused of killing a lending investor and her secretary, almost two years ago, was found guilty of double murder and was sentenced to two 40-year imprisonment or “reclusion perpetua.”

SPO1 Mateo Yanson, formerly assigned to the Fuente Police Station, was also ordered to pay the heirs of the victims a total amount of P250,000 in indemnity, moral, and exemplary damages.

Yanson was convicted of killing Pilar Hernandez, a lending investor, and her secretary Wivina Pancho on September 9, 2006 at the victims’ PRH Lending office in M.J. Cuenco Avenue.

Despite the absence of direct evidence or eyewitness to prove that Yanson was the killer, Regional Trial Court judge Ramon Codilla, Jr. ruled that there were sufficient circumstantial evidence to prove the guilt of the policeman.

“There is no direct evidence showing that SPO1 Mateo Yanson was the author of the person who shot the two victims but circumstantial evidence is strong pointing to the said accused as the author of the crime,” Codilla’s 15-page decision read.

Codilla anchored his decision on the testimonies of security guard Allan Ambrosio and PO2 Michael Santino Cortes who positively identified Yanson as the last person to go out from the victims’ office before they were found dead.

Ambrosio said he was on duty as security guard of the building where the victims held office. He said that he saw Yanson went out from the victims’ office wearing a police I.D., and a t-shirt emblazoned with the word “POLICE,” and camouflage shorts. Yanson reportedly left the place and boarded a pier area-bound multi-cab.

Cortes, on the other hand, said he was at the PRH Lending in the morning of September 9, 2006 to borrow money from the victim. He said he was able to obtain a P3,000 loan, which only took a few minutes to process. On his way out, however, he met Yanson.

The prosecution was also able to prove that the Taurus 9-millimeter pistol used for the murder was borrowed by Yanson the night before the crime happened. PO1 Eddiely Malata, who owns the gun, said she entrusted the firearm to a police asset, Troy Diago, as she was selling it.

Malata said she asked Diago to find a buyer of the gun but, on the evening of September 8, Diago lend it to Yanson.

Diago executed an affidavit narrating this even but he retracted later. Despite the retraction, the court said there were more than enough circumstantial evidences to convict the accused.

“All the evidence of the prosecution has passed the test of close scrutiny and the court is convinced without doubt that the accused SPO1 Mateo Yanson is guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of murder,” Codilla ruled.

Codilla has ordered the immediate transmittal of the records to the Court of Appeals for automatic review. — Fred P. Languido/RAE