Sison slay suspect insists he was at work when lawyer was killed

CEBU, Philippines - The security guard accused of killing lawyer Richard William Sison yesterday denied participation in the crime by telling the court he never left the compound of his employer at the time Sison was shot dead last May 21.

“Nikaon ko sulod sa compound. Nadunggan lang nako sa ubang tawo nga gi-ambush ang abogado sa akong amo,” said Nemuel Sumabong, adding that he reportedly could not leave the building because he also assisted in parking vehicles that enter the compound. Sison was shot dead inside his car during a stop sign along M.J. Cuenco Avenue midday on May 21.

Sumabong also submitted to court a clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation to prove that he had no criminal record before he was accused of killing the lawyer.

Sumabong maintained that his employer, King David Security and Investigation Agency, detailed him to the Gochan Building at the corner of Leon Kilat and Magallanes St. since May 1, 2008. He reportedly kept that post on a 7am to 7pm shift until NBI operatives came and arrested him last June 10.

He narrated how he reportedly noticed his employer, Felix Gochan, crying that day and later learned from Gochan’s security escort that Sison was the lawyer of the family. “After I assisted Felix Gochan negotiate his Isuzu pick-up to the busy road outside of the building, I went back and resumed talking about the ambush of Atty. Sison together with the employees inside the Gochan building,” Sumabong said. Sumabong alleged the NBI was not even able to identify him during the arrest. The NBI reportedly went to his neighborhood looking for a certain Lemuel, a PCI Bank security guard who owed somebody P6,000. Sumabong said he then went with the agent to help them search and when they could not find any Lemuel, he reportedly told the policemen his name and told them that he was a security guard.

It was reportedly at that point that he was taken into police custody. — Jasmin R. Uy/JMO   (THE FREEMAN)