Sison slay witness appears in court

CEBU - After having been reported missing that resulted to the postponement of the continuation of the trial in the murder of lawyer Richard Sison last week, the second witness appeared in court yesterday to continue her testimony.

Carla Vergara told the court that she feared for her life and has not even reported back to work since last month for fear of her security. She said that though she has not received any death threats, she could not help herself from getting worried over her safety.

Aside from her fear, Vergara said, she failed to appear in court last week even if she was notified of the scheduled hearing because she was not fetched by private prosecutor Romulo Senining who used to fetch her in going to the court.

In yesterday’s hearing, Vergara was subjected to a cross examination by defense counsel Wendell Quiban.

Quiban focused his cross-examination on the cartographic sketch of accused Nemuel Sumabong wherein the artist of the National Bureau of Investigation wrote on the sketch that the suspect is about 25 years old.

Quiban questioned Vergara how she was able to come up with the age of the accused. But Vergara said it was only an approximation she gave to the artist who worked on the sketch.

Vergara said she told the artist that the gunman who murdered Sison was “about 25 years old or late 20s” based on her estimate. Quiban questioned Vergara why she did not object when the artist put the age 25 on the sketch when what she allegedly said was “late 20s”.

Vergara replied she did not object because she knew it was only an approximation. The prosecution is expected to present next Wednesday supervising agent Rennan Oliva who investigated the case and arrested Sumabong.

Sumabong was positively identified by witnesses as the gunman who murdered Sison last May 21 while the lawyer stopped on a red traffic light near the Commission on Audit building at M.J. Cuenco Avenue. — Fred P. Languido/MEEV   (THE FREEMAN)