Robbery suspects plead not guilty

CEBU, Philippines - “Not guilty.”

This was the plea of Junjun Cabando and Rolien Castro during their arraignment for robbery with homicide case yesterday.

Cabando was assisted by his counsel, lawyer Rameses Villagonzalo while Castro was assisted by lawyer Bryan Bantillan.

Judge Wilfredo Navarro of Regional Trial Court Branch 19 deferred the arraignment of Merlyn Laguitao, the live-in partner of Cabando, who is four months pregnant, pending the resolution of the motions she filed.

Laguitao’s counsel, Bantillan, manifested before the court that they filed a motion for reinvestigation and motion to quash information, citing that there was no due process.

“We asked for the deferment of the arraignment. The court has no jurisdiction over Laguitao and we move for the quashal of the amended information,” he said.

Bantillan said his client never underwent preliminary investigation wherein she could have been given a chance to file her counter-affidavit to negate the allegations filed against her.

“Laguitao was innocent. The Information of the case was not clear because it showed Junjun Cabando et.al. et.al. refers to John Does- the aliases of male and no indication of female,” he said in Cebuano during an interview.

He added that they were surprised why Laguitao was implicated in the case.

Bantillan said they are planning to file a motion to post bail for Laguitao, being pregnant.

With the foregoing motions, Navarro directed state prosecutor Aida Sanchez to file her comment of opposition within ten days. Sanchez was likewise directed to file her comment on the motion to post bail within ten days which Villagonzalo filed in behalf of Castro.

Villagonzalo said the evidence against his client is weak.

Sanchez manifested before the court that she vehemently opposed the motions, citing the crime committed by the accused was heinous.

Cabando and Castro appeared in court in yellow shirts, handcuffed and wearing bullet proof vests for security purposes. The two were escorted by numerous jail guards and Cebu City Jail warden Johnson Calub.

They arrived earlier than Laguitao, who was also handcuffed but smiling when entering the court before sitting beside her live-in partner.

Laguitao wiped the sweat off Cabando’s face using her handkerchief. The two had a conversation before the proceedings started.

The three are accused in the botched robbery of a roving bank teller in Fuente Osmeña on September 5, 2011 where two security guards died, and a bank teller and two police officers were wounded. Three robbers also died when they were shot by policemen.

The pre-trial is set on October 2, 2012. –(FREEMAN)