Murder case filed against Argao councilor’s “killer”

CEBU, Philippines - A complaint for murder was filed yesterday before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office against the man who was accused of killing Argao councilor Joaquin Banosong.

Upon inquest, Reynaldo Destacamento, 32, of Barangay San Isidro, Talisay City denied the allegation and told state prosecutor Ferdinand Collantes that he will answer the charges.

Collantes gave respondent seven days to file his counter-affidavit. However, Destacamento appealed that he be given 15 days to file.

“On behalf of my lawyer, fiscal, I will be asking 15 days to file considering we have to look for evidences,” he said. But Collantes told him to let his counsel do so by submitting a manifestation.

Banosong, 64, a resident of Barangay Talaga was shot to death in town’s public market at past 5 p.m. while he was about to board his Silver Hyundai Starex van parked in front of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Office.

He sustained gunshot wounds to the head and was brought to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.  The victim just left the public market carrying food for dinner when he was shot.

Three days after Banosong’s death, Destacamento was arrested by the members of the Regional Intelligence Division, Provincial Intelligence Branch and Argao Police in Jones, Cebu City after he was identified by a witness.

However, Destacamento told Collantes that he has no knowledge why he was arrested by the police.

He said he was in his way to police officer Jason Yap, the arresting officer in his qualified theft case, when he was apprehended by the authorities. He however, did not divulge his intention for going there.

One of the witnesses, a 63-year old employee of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), told Collantes that he heard three gunshots but claimed that he did not see the face and haircut of the assailant but only the back portion of the body.

When asked by Collantes if Destacamento was the same person he saw on the said incident, the latter took seconds to answer and said “seems like.”

Cesaria, a public school teacher and wife of the victim said she learned about the incident at past 5:00 p.m. when she was informed by the mother of her son-in law.

She said she was still in Talaga Elementary School when the incident happened.

In an interview, she said she has no idea as to the motive of the killing and added that as far as she knew, her husband has no enemy. She hopes that this case will be solved.  —/MIT (FREEMAN)