Justice served for Osorio

CEBU, Philippines - More than four years after the killing of assistant prosecutor Patrick Osorio, his family can now claim justice has been served after the Regional Trial Court convicted two men to life imprisonment for his murder.

Yesterday, Julia, the wife of Patrick cried in relief when the guilty sentence was read aloud against Lyndon Horandoy and Allan Senogat in the sala of RTC Branch 17 Judge Silvestre Maamo.

Both the suspects were sentenced to reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment and were also ordered to pay the heirs of Osorio more than P8 million for the family’s loss of earning capacity, actual compensatory, temperate, moral and exemplary damages and civil indemnity plus interest of six percent per year for all the damages mentioned.

“It is very clear that the shooting of the victim was planned and preconceived, thus, evident premeditation is also present, apart from the use of a motor vehicle in the commission of the crime,” the decision read.

It further read that “obviously, the two accused conspired in the commission of the offense.”

Senogat was arrested in 2009 and immediately denied the crime. Horandoy, who was arrested in 2011, said in his extra-judicial confession that it was Senogat who hired him to drive the getaway motorcycle while he killed someone for P50,000.

Horandoy confessed that Senogat handed him the gun and ordered him to shoot Osorio.

Julia said she was happy that justice was served for her husband while Patrick’s father, Jesus Osorio thanked the Lord for hearing their prayers.

Patrick was shot last Jan. 6, 2009 while he was driving along N. Bacalso Ave on board his Toyota Revo. He was shot dead by a man on a motorcycle who was later identified as Horandoy.

The other suspect, Senogat, was said to be the one driving the motorcycle. Osorio was later brought to a nearby hospital but died due to multiple organ failure secondary to massive hemorrhage.  (FREEMAN)